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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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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: spring · object · fall · stem · shower · content · pass · swing

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. stem — to come from
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. fall — the season
  6. object — an aim
  7. swing — music
  8. spring — a coil
  9. spring — the season
  10. object — a thing
  11. shower — to wash
  12. swing — to play on
  13. swing — in golf
  14. fall — to drop
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. content — happy
  17. pass — a permit
  18. shower — rain
  19. fall — to drop
  20. object — to protest
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. content — the amount
  24. spring — of water

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