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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.

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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: roll · firm · shower · degree · rest · present · stem · craft

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. present — the time now
  6. present — there
  7. degree — temperature
  8. craft — a skill
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. roll — a cake
  11. firm — decided
  12. degree — an amount
  13. shower — to wash
  14. rest — what's left
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. degree — from a university
  17. rest — a break
  18. shower — rain
  19. rest — what's left
  20. firm — steady
  21. firm — a company
  22. craft — boats
  23. roll — a list
  24. stem — to come from

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