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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 116 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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. pass — a permit
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. stem — to come from
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. shower — to wash
  13. current — electric
  14. perch — the fish
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. present — a gift
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. present — there
  20. current — happening now
  21. present — the time now
  22. wound — an injury
  23. current — of water
  24. pass — to succeed

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