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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: land · leaves · craft · shower · stem · race · pass · present

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. land — a country
  5. land — to come down
  6. shower — rain
  7. present — a gift
  8. pass — a permit
  9. craft — a skill
  10. land — ground
  11. present — the time now
  12. present — there
  13. shower — to wash
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. craft — boats
  17. race — a contest
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. stem — to come from
  20. race — the arms race
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. race — humankind

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