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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.

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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 · arm · date · rest · suit · capital · pop · shower

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. suit — in cards
  3. capital — a city
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. pop — to visit
  6. stem — to come from
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rest — a break
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. capital — money
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. shower — rain
  15. date — the fruit
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. pop — soda
  20. shower — to wash
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. pop — music
  23. suit — to fit
  24. rest — what's left

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