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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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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: deal · root · wound · cap · cue · file · shower · bear

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. wound — an injury
  3. root — the cause
  4. cue — for pool
  5. shower — to wash
  6. cue — a signal
  7. root — of a word
  8. wound — an injury
  9. file — a document
  10. cue — a hint
  11. file — a line of people
  12. shower — rain
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. file — a tool
  15. cap — a lid
  16. bear — the animal
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. deal — to handle
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. cap — a hat
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. root — of a plant
  24. deal — a big deal

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