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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 116 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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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: shower · net · face · bay · rest · stem · leaves · rule

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rule — government
  3. shower — to wash
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. face — part of the head
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. net — in sport
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. rest — what's left
  14. net — for catching
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. stem — to come from
  17. shower — rain
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. rule — a law
  20. rest — a break
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. net — after costs
  23. face — to confront
  24. face — to point toward

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