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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. bank — for money
  3. pop — music
  4. bark — to shout
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. stem — to come from
  8. shower — to wash
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. bank — of a river
  12. mate — to breed
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. rock — a stone
  15. pop — soda
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. mate — a friend
  18. rock — music
  19. mate — a partner
  20. pop — to visit
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. bank — for money

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