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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.

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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: board · firm · stem · kick · hide · shower · club · ruler

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. firm — steady
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. board — a committee
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. kick — in football
  9. shower — rain
  10. shower — to wash
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. firm — a company
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. club — a group
  16. board — to get on
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. firm — decided
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. club — for golf
  23. board — a flat piece
  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