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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 · tube · wave · bowl · shower · straw · dip · temple

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. shower — to wash
  5. root — of a word
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. tube — the underground
  9. tube — a container
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. dip — to sink
  15. root — of a plant
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. root — the cause
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. shower — rain
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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