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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: saw · root · game · nail · vault · shower · tear · rash

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. rash — a series
  4. tear — from crying
  5. shower — rain
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. vault — a safe
  8. saw — the tool
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. tear — from crying
  11. tear — to rip
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. shower — to wash
  16. rash — hasty
  17. saw — the tool
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. game — a match
  21. root — of a word
  22. game — wild animals
  23. root — the cause
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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