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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: tear · shower · foot · tube · stem · bank · cabinet · mark

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. shower — rain
  4. mark — a grade
  5. foot — a measure
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. tear — to rip
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. tube — a container
  11. bank — for money
  12. tear — from crying
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. shower — to wash
  16. bank — of a river
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. mark — a trace
  21. bank — for money
  22. tube — the underground
  23. stem — to come from
  24. tear — from crying

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