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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.

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: face · mine · drill · shower · bulb · root · dip · bank

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. root — the cause
  4. bank — of a river
  5. bulb — for light
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. dip — to sink
  9. face — part of the head
  10. root — of a word
  11. shower — rain
  12. mine — for digging
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. root — of a plant
  15. face — to confront
  16. drill — a practice
  17. drill — the tool
  18. drill — army training
  19. face — to point toward
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. bank — for money
  22. bulb — for light
  23. shower — to wash
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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