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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: toast · stem · racket · hand · leaves · bulb · shower · hide

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. toast — bread
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. bulb — for light
  7. stem — to come from
  8. bulb — for light
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. hand — in cards
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. shower — to wash
  18. hand — help
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. shower — rain
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. hide — to keep secret

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