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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
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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: dip · row · shower · mug · mate · root · scale · file

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. dip — to sink
  3. mug — to rob
  4. shower — to wash
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. shower — rain
  7. scale — in music
  8. mate — a partner
  9. file — a document
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. mate — to breed
  12. row — to paddle
  13. root — of a plant
  14. scale — size or range
  15. file — a tool
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. mate — a friend
  19. file — a line of people
  20. row — a line
  21. mug — a face
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. root — of a word
  24. mug — a cup

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