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

Word bank: bay · shower · firm · mine · swing · bank · stem · cap

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. firm — decided
  3. bank — of a river
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. cap — a lid
  6. mine — for digging
  7. bank — for money
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. swing — music
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. firm — a company
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. cap — of ice
  15. shower — rain
  16. firm — steady
  17. bank — for money
  18. swing — in golf
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. cap — a hat
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. stem — to come from
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. swing — to play on

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