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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. shower — to wash
  3. craft — a skill
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. mate — a partner
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. craft — boats
  9. prune — to trim
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. prune — to trim
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. stem — to come from
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. mate — a friend
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. mate — to breed

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