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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  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. pitcher — a jug
  2. wake — a trail
  3. staff — a stick
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pass — a permit
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. shower — to wash
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. staff — employees
  13. staff — employees
  14. stem — to come from
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. band — a ring
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. band — a music group
  23. shower — rain
  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