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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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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: squash · rock · bass · root · dip · saw · shower · object

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. saw — the tool
  3. squash — to crush
  4. bass — the fish
  5. root — of a word
  6. object — an aim
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. saw — the tool
  12. bass — low music
  13. object — a thing
  14. shower — rain
  15. root — of a plant
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. root — the cause
  19. dip — to sink
  20. shower — to wash
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. squash — the sport
  23. object — to protest
  24. rock — a stone

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