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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 120 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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. club — for golf
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. root — of a word
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. root — of a plant
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. pit — in a race
  13. club — a group
  14. stem — to come from
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. shower — to wash
  18. wake — a trail
  19. rush — hurry
  20. root — the cause
  21. club — for dancing
  22. pit — a hole
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. sharp — clever

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