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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: jam · rush · shower · coach · foot · stem · track · wake

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  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. foot — a measure
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. stem — to come from
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. wake — a trail
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. track — a path
  9. shower — to wash
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. track — a song
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. track — to keep track
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. rush — hurry
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. shower — rain
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. rush — to hurry
  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