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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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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: stem · ruler · hand · shower · lean · lash · ground · fine

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. hand — help
  3. lean — to bend
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. stem — to come from
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. ground — the earth
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. shower — rain
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. shower — to wash
  14. lean — thin
  15. ground — a position
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. hand — in cards
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ground — crushed
  21. fine — all right
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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