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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: stick · bank · can · mug · shower · wind · root · snap

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. bank — of a river
  3. root — of a word
  4. root — of a plant
  5. wind — moving air
  6. mug — to rob
  7. snap — to click
  8. bank — for money
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. can — to be able to
  11. can — a tin
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bank — for money
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. can — a tin
  17. wind — moving air
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. mug — a face
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. shower — rain
  22. mug — a cup
  23. root — the cause
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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