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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 · wave · field · stand · row · shower · hide · rash

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. root — the cause
  4. row — to paddle
  5. root — of a word
  6. field — for sport
  7. field — farmland
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. rash — a series
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. shower — to wash
  14. row — a line
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. stand — to bear
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. field — a subject
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. root — of a plant
  21. shower — rain
  22. rash — hasty
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. row — a quarrel

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