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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. That must've been 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 — a meteor shower
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. root — of a plant
  4. face — part of the head
  5. bass — the fish
  6. face — to confront
  7. field — a subject
  8. stock — shares
  9. field — farmland
  10. shower — rain
  11. rush — hurry
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. root — the cause
  15. face — to point toward
  16. root — of a word
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. bass — low music
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. field — for sport
  22. stock — goods
  23. rush — a thrill
  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