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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.

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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: bear · chip · kick · race · root · shower · cold · foot

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. shower — rain
  3. bear — the animal
  4. shower — to wash
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. race — the arms race
  7. bear — the animal
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. root — the cause
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. kick — in football
  12. cold — an illness
  13. cold — not warm
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. chip — to eat
  16. race — a contest
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. race — humankind
  19. foot — a measure
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. root — of a word
  22. chip — for betting
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. foot — the bottom

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