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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 120 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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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: stem · spring · shower · bank · nail · season

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. spring — of water
  3. shower — to wash
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. season — in sport
  6. bank — for money
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. bank — of a river
  10. spring — a coil
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. stem — to come from
  13. bank — for money
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. season — of the year
  17. spring — the season
  18. season — to add flavour

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