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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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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: object · shower · rest · pit · stem · cap · wave · calf

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. stem — to come from
  3. shower — to wash
  4. object — to protest
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. pit — in a race
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. object — an aim
  10. pit — a hole
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. rest — a break
  13. cap — of ice
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. cap — a lid
  18. shower — rain
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. rest — what's left
  21. object — a thing
  22. rest — what's left
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. cap — a hat

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