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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.

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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: saw · root · rock · shower · current · dip · land · hand

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. shower — rain
  3. rock — a stone
  4. hand — in cards
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. land — a country
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. rock — music
  10. root — of a word
  11. saw — the tool
  12. land — ground
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. root — of a plant
  15. saw — the tool
  16. current — electric
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. current — of water
  19. root — the cause
  20. current — happening now
  21. dip — to sink
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. hand — help
  24. shower — to wash

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