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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. drill — a practice
  4. spring — the season
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. can — a tin
  7. drill — the tool
  8. stem — to come from
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. drill — army training
  14. spring — of water
  15. fine — high quality
  16. mate — a partner
  17. mate — a friend
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. fine — all right
  20. mate — to breed
  21. can — a tin
  22. shower — rain
  23. can — to be able to
  24. spring — a coil

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