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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · present · spell · bark · shower · rest · bass · suit

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. bass — the fish
  3. rest — what's left
  4. present — the time now
  5. shower — rain
  6. present — there
  7. suit — to fit
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. rest — a break
  10. bark — to shout
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. suit — in cards
  13. root — of a plant
  14. rest — what's left
  15. suit — clothes
  16. shower — to wash
  17. spell — letters
  18. root — of a word
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. spell — magic
  21. root — the cause
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. bass — low music
  24. spell — a short time

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