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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: lash · deal · snap · date · root · court · shower · saw

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  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. saw — the tool
  2. shower — rain
  3. court — of law
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. court — for sport
  6. deal — to handle
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. shower — to wash
  9. court — of a king
  10. snap — to click
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. saw — the tool
  13. root — of a plant
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. root — of a word
  17. root — the cause
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. date — the fruit
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. date — on the calendar
  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