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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: wake · stem · rash · plane · shower · firm · rush · cabinet

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. rash — a series
  3. firm — steady
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. wake — a trail
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. shower — rain
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. rash — hasty
  11. firm — decided
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. shower — to wash
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. plane — a tool
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. firm — a company
  20. stem — to come from
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. plane — in geometry

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