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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 116 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: dip · present · firm · spring · bay · root · board · shower

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. dip — to sink
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. board — to get on
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. firm — steady
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. root — of a word
  10. present — a gift
  11. firm — decided
  12. shower — rain
  13. present — there
  14. shower — to wash
  15. spring — a coil
  16. present — the time now
  17. spring — of water
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. root — of a plant
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. spring — the season
  23. board — a committee
  24. root — the cause

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