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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: rule · row · root · shower · craft · snap · patient · bulb

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. rule — a law
  3. bulb — for light
  4. rule — government
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. root — of a word
  8. row — to paddle
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. bulb — for light
  13. craft — boats
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. craft — a skill
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. row — a line
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. root — the cause
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. shower — to wash
  22. shower — rain
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. snap — to click

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