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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: can · shower · rest · clip · wave · bulb · stem · pitcher

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. shower — rain
  3. rest — what's left
  4. bulb — for light
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. rest — a break
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. can — to be able to
  10. clip — to cut
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — a tin
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. rest — what's left
  15. bulb — for light
  16. stem — to come from
  17. shower — to wash
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. clip — for paper
  24. bulb — of a plant

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