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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. stem — to come from
  3. fall — to drop
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. fine — high quality
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. shower — to wash
  8. can — to be able to
  9. fall — to drop
  10. firm — steady
  11. can — a tin
  12. season — of the year
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. fall — the season
  16. deal — to handle
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. can — a tin
  19. shower — rain
  20. firm — a company
  21. fine — all right
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. season — in sport
  24. stem — of a plant

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