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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: shower · suit · cold · dip · pass · spring · stem · chair

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. pass — a permit
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. dip — to sink
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. shower — to wash
  9. spring — of water
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. spring — the season
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. stem — to come from
  14. chair — a leader
  15. cold — not warm
  16. suit — clothes
  17. shower — rain
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. spring — a coil
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. suit — in cards
  24. suit — to fit

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