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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: sharp · present · leaves · squash · root · shower · board · tear

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. shower — to wash
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. root — of a plant
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. root — of a word
  9. squash — the sport
  10. present — the time now
  11. present — there
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. root — the cause
  14. board — to get on
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. sharp — clever
  17. tear — to rip
  18. tear — from crying
  19. shower — rain
  20. squash — to crush
  21. board — a committee
  22. present — a gift
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. leaves — to go away

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