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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: bowl · bass · root · spring · craft · press · shower · clip

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. root — of a plant
  3. craft — a skill
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. root — of a word
  6. spring — the season
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. clip — to cut
  9. press — a publisher
  10. shower — rain
  11. craft — boats
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. spring — a coil
  14. press — to push
  15. bass — the fish
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. spring — of water
  18. root — the cause
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. bass — low music
  21. clip — a video
  22. press — newspapers
  23. shower — to wash
  24. bowl — to roll

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