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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: cap · hide · saw · fine · bowl · stem · shower · rest

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. saw — the tool
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. shower — rain
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. rest — what's left
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. rest — what's left
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. cap — a lid
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. rest — a break
  17. saw — the tool
  18. fine — all right
  19. stem — to come from
  20. cap — of ice
  21. fine — high quality
  22. cap — a hat
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. shower — to wash

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