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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 116 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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pass · perch · shower · craft · vault · root

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. craft — a skill
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. shower — to wash
  6. root — of a word
  7. perch — the fish
  8. root — the cause
  9. craft — boats
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. vault — a safe
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. pass — a permit
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. root — of a plant
  18. shower — rain

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