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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 · shower · toast · season · object · lean · cap · stock

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. cap — of ice
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. lean — to bend
  6. lean — thin
  7. stock — goods
  8. stock — shares
  9. shower — rain
  10. cap — a lid
  11. cap — a hat
  12. stem — to come from
  13. season — in sport
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. object — an aim
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. shower — to wash
  20. toast — bread
  21. object — to protest
  22. object — a thing
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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