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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  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. shower — rain
  2. root — of a plant
  3. firm — decided
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. firm — steady
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. root — the cause
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. saw — the tool
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. perch — the fish
  14. saw — the tool
  15. root — of a word
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. firm — a company
  19. branch — a division
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. snap — to click
  23. perch — for a bird
  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