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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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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: hide · ball · shower · stem · track · race · saw · patient

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. stem — to come from
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. track — a path
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. shower — rain
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. race — the arms race
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. track — to keep track
  13. ball — a great time
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. track — a song
  16. saw — the tool
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. shower — to wash
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. saw — the tool
  21. race — a contest
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. race — humankind
  24. ball — a dance

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