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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. shower — rain
  3. shower — to wash
  4. club — a group
  5. club — for dancing
  6. cue — a signal
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. stock — goods
  10. cue — for pool
  11. rash — a series
  12. rash — hasty
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. stock — shares
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. cue — a hint
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. stem — to come from
  19. pass — a permit
  20. club — for golf
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. pass — to spend time

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