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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: bulb · fall · wave · spell · shower · bore · root · pound

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. pound — a weight
  3. fall — to drop
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. spell — a short time
  6. bulb — for light
  7. spell — letters
  8. bore — to tire
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. bore — to drill
  11. shower — to wash
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. fall — to drop
  14. bulb — for light
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. root — the cause
  17. shower — rain
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. spell — magic
  21. root — of a word
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. fall — the season
  24. root — of a plant

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