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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. club — a group
  3. shower — rain
  4. bound — certain
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. pit — a hole
  7. fine — high quality
  8. lean — to bend
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. fine — all right
  12. band — a ring
  13. band — a music group
  14. pit — in a race
  15. club — for dancing
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. club — for golf
  18. bound — obliged
  19. shower — to wash
  20. lean — thin
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. bound — tied together

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