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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: stand · tube · wound · shower · land · root · face · spell

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. root — of a word
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. spell — a short time
  7. tube — the underground
  8. wound — an injury
  9. face — to confront
  10. face — part of the head
  11. shower — rain
  12. wound — an injury
  13. land — a country
  14. root — of a plant
  15. face — to point toward
  16. tube — a container
  17. shower — to wash
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. spell — magic
  20. stand — to bear
  21. spell — letters
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. land — ground
  24. land — to come down

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