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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: bulb · roll · fan · cabinet · club · shower · stem · row

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. row — a line
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. club — for dancing
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bulb — for light
  10. roll — a list
  11. club — a group
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. stem — to come from
  16. row — to paddle
  17. roll — a cake
  18. bulb — for light
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. shower — to wash
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. club — for golf

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