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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 120 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 · pit · tear · pound · can · present · lean · shower

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. tear — to rip
  3. shower — to wash
  4. can — to be able to
  5. root — of a word
  6. pound — a weight
  7. shower — rain
  8. present — there
  9. can — a tin
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. can — a tin
  12. pit — a hole
  13. lean — to bend
  14. present — the time now
  15. root — the cause
  16. present — a gift
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. tear — from crying
  20. tear — from crying
  21. pit — in a race
  22. lean — thin
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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