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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: rash · pitcher · wind · root · snap · shower · temple · coach

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. wind — moving air
  4. rash — hasty
  5. root — the cause
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. wind — moving air
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. rash — a series
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. shower — rain
  19. shower — to wash
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. root — of a word
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. root — of a plant
  24. snap — to click

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