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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
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: root · wave · bark · hand · cap · tube · shower · bear

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. tube — the underground
  3. root — the cause
  4. cap — a lid
  5. bear — the animal
  6. cap — of ice
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. hand — in cards
  11. root — of a word
  12. cap — a hat
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. bark — to shout
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. hand — help
  19. shower — to wash
  20. root — of a plant
  21. tube — a container
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. bear — the animal
  24. wave — with your hand

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