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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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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: kick · object · dip · root · shower · cell · mouse · prune

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. root — of a word
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. shower — rain
  7. kick — in football
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. object — an aim
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. root — the cause
  13. object — to protest
  14. cell — a phone
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. shower — to wash
  20. cell — in biology
  21. prune — to trim
  22. prune — to trim
  23. root — of a plant
  24. object — a thing

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