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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: root · shower · season · lie · leaves · straw · mug · trunk

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. root — of a plant
  9. season — in sport
  10. shower — to wash
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. mug — to rob
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — to recline
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. mug — a cup
  19. root — the cause
  20. season — of the year
  21. mug — a face
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. root — of a word

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