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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: ruler · swing · root · leaves · shower · saw · sharp · wave

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. shower — to wash
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. saw — the tool
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. shower — rain
  15. sharp — clever
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. root — of a plant
  18. root — of a word
  19. swing — music
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. swing — in golf
  23. root — the cause
  24. swing — to play on

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