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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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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: mouse · date · cold · calf · root · shower · bank · jam

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. cold — an illness
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. shower — to wash
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. bank — for money
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. date — the fruit
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. bank — for money
  13. root — of a word
  14. root — the cause
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. bank — of a river
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. cold — not warm
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. shower — rain
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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