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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: bowl · pop · mine · stem · stick · shower · lean · mouse

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. shower — rain
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. pop — soda
  9. lean — to bend
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. shower — to wash
  15. pop — music
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. stem — to come from
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mine — for digging
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. lean — thin
  23. pop — to visit
  24. mine — belonging to me

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