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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 120 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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. object — a thing
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. shower — to wash
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. pop — to visit
  12. file — a document
  13. file — a line of people
  14. file — a tool
  15. tube — a container
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. stem — to come from
  18. pop — music
  19. pop — soda
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. tube — the underground
  23. object — an aim
  24. shower — rain

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