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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: shower · root · lean · object · pound · wound · hide · toast

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. object — an aim
  4. object — a thing
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. lean — to bend
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. lean — thin
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. pound — a weight
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. shower — rain
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. toast — bread
  17. object — to protest
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. root — of a word
  21. root — of a plant
  22. shower — to wash
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. wound — an injury

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