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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 120 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: wave · face · fork · fine · shower · root · season · bowl

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. root — of a word
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. face — part of the head
  5. root — the cause
  6. face — to point toward
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. season — in sport
  9. shower — rain
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. shower — to wash
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. fork — in a road
  15. fine — all right
  16. root — of a plant
  17. face — to confront
  18. fine — high quality
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. season — of the year
  24. bowl — a dish

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