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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 116 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: scale · rush · fine · fall · lie · shower · root · bowl

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. root — of a plant
  3. fine — all right
  4. fall — to drop
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. fall — to drop
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. scale — size or range
  10. rush — hurry
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. shower — to wash
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. root — of a word
  15. shower — rain
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. fall — the season
  19. fine — high quality
  20. lie — to recline
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. scale — in music
  24. root — the cause

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