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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: root · game · bowl · stem · shower · arm · dip · can

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. can — to be able to
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. dip — to sink
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. game — wild animals
  7. shower — to wash
  8. shower — rain
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. can — a tin
  11. root — the cause
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. game — a match
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. stem — to come from
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. root — of a word
  22. root — of a plant
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. can — a tin

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