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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 116 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: root · tear · net · firm · cue · drill · shower · fork

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. drill — the tool
  3. tear — from crying
  4. shower — to wash
  5. firm — a company
  6. shower — rain
  7. drill — a practice
  8. cue — a hint
  9. root — of a word
  10. cue — for pool
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. root — of a plant
  14. drill — army training
  15. cue — a signal
  16. root — the cause
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. firm — steady
  19. tear — to rip
  20. tear — from crying
  21. net — in sport
  22. net — after costs
  23. fork — in a road
  24. net — for catching

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