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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: hand · bear · nail · root · mark · toast · shower · cold

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. root — of a plant
  3. mark — a grade
  4. hand — help
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. shower — to wash
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. root — the cause
  12. mark — a trace
  13. root — of a word
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. shower — rain
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. cold — an illness
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. bear — the animal
  20. toast — bread
  21. bear — the animal
  22. cold — not warm
  23. hand — in cards
  24. bear — to put up with

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