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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: shower · mouse · scale · bound · root · bat · lie · leaves

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. lie — to recline
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. bound — obliged
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. root — of a word
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. bound — certain
  14. bat — the animal
  15. bound — tied together
  16. scale — in music
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. root — the cause
  19. shower — rain
  20. shower — to wash
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. scale — size or range
  24. bat — for baseball

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