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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: lash · shower · stem · pass · wax · net · degree · cap

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. shower — rain
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. net — for catching
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. cap — a lid
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. net — after costs
  11. stem — to come from
  12. degree — from a university
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. degree — temperature
  16. degree — an amount
  17. net — in sport
  18. cap — of ice
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. pass — a permit
  21. cap — a hat
  22. wax — to grow
  23. shower — to wash
  24. pass — to succeed

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