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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: shower · stock · leaves · cell · firm · mark · cap · bear

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. cap — a hat
  3. mark — a grade
  4. firm — steady
  5. bear — the animal
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. cell — in biology
  9. cap — of ice
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. shower — to wash
  12. cap — a lid
  13. shower — rain
  14. bear — the animal
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. stock — goods
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. mark — a trace
  20. stock — shares
  21. cell — a phone
  22. firm — a company
  23. firm — decided
  24. stock — a soup base

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