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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. shower — rain
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. stem — to come from
  7. fall — the season
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. bank — of a river
  11. shower — to wash
  12. bass — low music
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. bank — for money
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. fall — to drop
  18. bank — for money
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. bass — the fish
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. dip — to sink

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