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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 116 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
468
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: suit · snap · tear · pitcher · shower · file · root · spring

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  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. file — a line of people
  2. snap — to click
  3. root — of a plant
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. spring — of water
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. suit — to fit
  8. root — of a word
  9. tear — from crying
  10. file — a document
  11. root — the cause
  12. file — a tool
  13. tear — from crying
  14. suit — clothes
  15. spring — a coil
  16. shower — to wash
  17. spring — the season
  18. tear — to rip
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. shower — rain
  21. suit — in cards
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pitcher — a jug
  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