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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: root · snap · leaves · lie · bound · shower · fan · rock

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. shower — to wash
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. rock — music
  7. rock — a stone
  8. bound — certain
  9. bound — tied together
  10. shower — rain
  11. snap — to click
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. root — of a word
  15. bound — obliged
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. root — of a plant
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. root — the cause
  23. lie — to recline
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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