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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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. stem — to come from
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. face — to confront
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. mark — a grade
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. face — to point toward
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mark — a trace
  14. dip — to sink
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. branch — a division
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. shower — to wash
  22. face — part of the head
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. branch — of a bank

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