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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: bowl · bay · suit · stem · scale · staff · last · shower

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. stem — to come from
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. suit — in cards
  8. suit — to fit
  9. last — finally
  10. staff — employees
  11. last — to go on
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. shower — to wash
  15. scale — in music
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. suit — clothes
  18. staff — employees
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. scale — size or range
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. staff — a stick
  23. shower — rain
  24. scale — for weighing

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