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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. can — a tin
  3. can — a tin
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. mug — to rob
  6. spell — letters
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. mug — a face
  9. rule — a law
  10. rule — government
  11. shower — to wash
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. mug — a cup
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. prune — to trim
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. prune — to trim
  19. can — to be able to
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. spell — a short time
  22. shower — rain
  23. spell — magic
  24. stem — a stem cell

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