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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
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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: band · press · shower · trunk · bore · root · wave · key

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. root — of a plant
  3. key — in music
  4. shower — rain
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. root — of a word
  7. shower — to wash
  8. band — a ring
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. press — newspapers
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. root — the cause
  13. key — for a lock
  14. bore — to drill
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. key — the most important part
  17. band — a music group
  18. press — to push
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. press — a publisher
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. bore — to tire
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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