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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: straw · swing · spell · shower · lie · root · bay · charge

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. root — of a plant
  4. shower — rain
  5. spell — magic
  6. root — of a word
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — to recline
  9. root — the cause
  10. spell — letters
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. swing — to play on
  14. swing — music
  15. spell — a short time
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. charge — electricity
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. swing — in golf
  20. shower — to wash
  21. charge — a price
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. charge — in control

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