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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 120 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
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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 · stick · mouse · stem · scale · staff · ball · fall

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. fall — the season
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. shower — rain
  5. staff — a stick
  6. staff — employees
  7. staff — employees
  8. shower — to wash
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. fall — to drop
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. ball — a great time
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. scale — in music
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. ball — a dance
  20. stem — to come from
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. scale — size or range

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