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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. root — of a word
  4. band — a music group
  5. date — the fruit
  6. bulb — for light
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. root — of a plant
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. root — the cause
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. snap — to click
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. bulb — for light
  18. shower — rain
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. band — a ring
  21. deal — to handle
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. shower — to wash

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com