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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 116 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: shower · bank · wave · last · hide · rule · stem · plane

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. shower — rain
  3. bank — of a river
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. rule — government
  7. plane — a tool
  8. last — final
  9. rule — a law
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. bank — for money
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. stem — to come from
  16. shower — to wash
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. last — to go on
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. last — finally
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. bank — for money

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