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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: shower · jam · root · season · bulb · bore · straw · cabinet

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. root — of a word
  4. root — the cause
  5. season — in sport
  6. shower — rain
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bore — to drill
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. season — of the year
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bulb — for light
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. bore — to tire
  22. root — of a plant
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. season — to add flavour

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