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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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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: mouse · bound · stem · root · row · shower · ruler · wave

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. shower — to wash
  4. bound — obliged
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. bound — certain
  8. shower — rain
  9. root — of a plant
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. bound — tied together
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. root — the cause
  17. stem — to come from
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. row — a line
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. root — of a word
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. row — to paddle

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