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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: firm · bear · capital · shower · fine · stem · lash · ball

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. ball — a great time
  3. firm — steady
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. stem — to come from
  7. capital — a city
  8. bear — the animal
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. capital — money
  13. firm — decided
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. fine — all right
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. fine — high quality
  19. firm — a company
  20. bear — the animal
  21. shower — rain
  22. ball — a dance
  23. shower — to wash
  24. bear — to put up with

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