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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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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: ball · root · fine · fall · toast · bay · shower · rash

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. root — of a word
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. ball — a dance
  6. fine — all right
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. fall — to drop
  9. toast — bread
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. ball — a great time
  12. root — of a plant
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. fine — high quality
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. fall — to drop
  19. rash — hasty
  20. rash — a series
  21. root — the cause
  22. shower — to wash
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. 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