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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: wake · lie · firm · rush · stem · bank · saw · shower

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. lie — to recline
  4. bank — of a river
  5. wake — a trail
  6. saw — the tool
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. rush — hurry
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. bank — for money
  14. firm — steady
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. bank — for money
  18. saw — the tool
  19. shower — to wash
  20. firm — decided
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. shower — rain
  24. firm — a company

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