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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pop · cold · root · plane · shower · content · cap · coach

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. cap — a lid
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. root — the cause
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. content — happy
  9. cap — a hat
  10. root — of a word
  11. cold — not warm
  12. pop — soda
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. content — the amount
  15. cold — an illness
  16. pop — music
  17. shower — to wash
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. shower — rain
  22. plane — a tool
  23. pop — to visit
  24. cap — of ice

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