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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.

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: pit · shower · tube · row · wake · arm · root · spring

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. pit — in a race
  3. spring — the season
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. spring — of water
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. spring — a coil
  9. tube — the underground
  10. pit — a hole
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. root — the cause
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. row — a line
  15. root — of a word
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. wake — a trail
  19. shower — rain
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. tube — a container
  22. row — to paddle
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. shower — to wash

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