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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: kick · root · mouse · rash · season · shower · race · pop

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. pop — soda
  3. root — of a plant
  4. root — the cause
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. root — of a word
  7. shower — to wash
  8. season — of the year
  9. rash — a series
  10. season — in sport
  11. race — a contest
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. rash — hasty
  14. race — humankind
  15. shower — rain
  16. race — the arms race
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. pop — to visit
  19. pop — music
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. kick — in football
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. kick — a thrill

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