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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bear · foot · stem · fan · bowl · shower

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. bear — the animal
  3. foot — a measure
  4. shower — rain
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. shower — to wash
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. stem — to come from
  17. bear — the animal
  18. shower — a meteor shower

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