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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: shower · dip · drill · spell · suit · wave · root · fork

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. shower — to wash
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. suit — clothes
  7. shower — rain
  8. drill — a practice
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. spell — letters
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. root — of a plant
  13. spell — a short time
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. fork — in a road
  16. spell — magic
  17. drill — the tool
  18. root — the cause
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. suit — in cards
  21. suit — to fit
  22. root — of a word
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. dip — to sink

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