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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: stem · mine · pass · shower · fan · rash · lash · pitch

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  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. stem — of a plant
  2. shower — to wash
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. stem — to come from
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. shower — rain
  9. rash — hasty
  10. rash — a series
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. pass — a permit
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. pitch — completely
  23. mine — for digging
  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