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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: pitch · stem · lash · mine · shower · cabinet · squash · fork

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. squash — to crush
  3. stem — to come from
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. fork — in a road
  8. shower — rain
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. squash — the sport
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. pitch — completely
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. mine — for digging
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. shower — to wash
  24. mine — an explosive

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