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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: club · coach · stem · pop · shower · perch · cabinet · chest

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. club — for golf
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. chest — a box
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. chest — of your body
  14. stem — to come from
  15. club — for dancing
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. chest — of your body
  18. perch — the fish
  19. pop — music
  20. club — a group
  21. pop — soda
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. shower — rain
  24. pop — to visit

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