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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 120 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. cap — a lid
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. shower — to wash
  5. cap — of ice
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. stem — to come from
  9. lean — to bend
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. cap — a hat
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. shower — rain
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. lean — to rest against

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