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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: kid · root · rush · wave · bay · prune · shower · pop

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. shower — rain
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. root — the cause
  8. root — of a plant
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. shower — to wash
  12. pop — music
  13. pop — soda
  14. prune — to trim
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. root — of a word
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. pop — to visit
  19. kid — to tease
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. rush — hurry
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. kid — child
  24. prune — to trim

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