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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: root · sharp · leaves · mouse · season · band · shower · object

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. root — of a plant
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. band — a music group
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. shower — rain
  10. band — a ring
  11. object — an aim
  12. sharp — clever
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. object — a thing
  16. shower — to wash
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. object — to protest
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. root — the cause
  21. season — in sport
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. season — of the year
  24. root — of a word

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