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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: shower · stock · arm · stem · plane · racket · hide · present

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. stock — shares
  4. shower — rain
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. plane — a tool
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. present — there
  13. present — a gift
  14. present — the time now
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. stock — goods
  18. stem — to come from
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. hide — animal skin

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