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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. staff — employees
  4. spring — of water
  5. suit — clothes
  6. firm — a company
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. spring — the season
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. firm — steady
  12. stem — to come from
  13. suit — to fit
  14. staff — employees
  15. staff — a stick
  16. suit — in cards
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. firm — decided
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bulb — for light
  23. shower — rain
  24. spring — a coil

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