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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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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. rock — music
  5. bear — the animal
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. mark — a trace
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. bear — the animal
  11. fine — high quality
  12. mark — a grade
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. roll — a list
  16. roll — a cake
  17. fine — all right
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. shower — to wash
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. shower — rain
  23. rock — a stone
  24. fine — a penalty

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