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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: shower · bear · bore · root · fork · lean · spell · rush

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. shower — to wash
  3. shower — rain
  4. bear — the animal
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. lean — to bend
  7. root — of a word
  8. lean — thin
  9. bear — the animal
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. bore — to drill
  12. spell — magic
  13. spell — a short time
  14. bore — to tire
  15. rush — hurry
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. fork — in a road
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. root — the cause
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. root — of a plant
  22. spell — letters
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. bore — gave birth

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