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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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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: present · key · row · stem · shower · net · lie · hand

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. present — the time now
  3. row — to paddle
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. present — a gift
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. shower — rain
  9. row — a line
  10. key — the most important part
  11. present — there
  12. key — for a lock
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. net — in sport
  15. net — after costs
  16. stem — to come from
  17. hand — help
  18. hand — in cards
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. key — in music
  21. shower — to wash
  22. net — for catching
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. row — a quarrel

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