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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 120 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: ruler · hide · stem · drill · spring · shower · pass · fall

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. shower — to wash
  4. drill — a practice
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. fall — to drop
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. spring — a coil
  10. spring — the season
  11. drill — army training
  12. fall — the season
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. stem — to come from
  15. fall — to drop
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. shower — rain
  18. pass — a permit
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. drill — the tool
  21. spring — of water
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. pass — to succeed

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