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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: stick · shower · foot · hand · bore · stem · kick · ground

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. stem — to come from
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. kick — in football
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. bore — to drill
  11. shower — to wash
  12. bore — to tire
  13. ground — crushed
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. ground — the earth
  17. shower — rain
  18. ground — a position
  19. foot — a measure
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. hand — in cards
  24. stem — a stem cell

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