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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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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: cue · mark · drill · shower · spring · rash · root · pop

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. spring — a coil
  3. drill — army training
  4. rash — a series
  5. shower — rain
  6. mark — a grade
  7. root — of a word
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. cue — a hint
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. root — the cause
  12. pop — music
  13. spring — the season
  14. drill — a practice
  15. spring — of water
  16. cue — a signal
  17. shower — to wash
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. mark — a trace
  20. pop — to visit
  21. cue — for pool
  22. rash — hasty
  23. pop — soda
  24. root — of a plant

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