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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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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: ground · kick · cabinet · bay · rock · track · shower · stem

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. rock — music
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. shower — to wash
  5. ground — the earth
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. rock — a stone
  8. ground — crushed
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. stem — to come from
  14. shower — rain
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. track — a song
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. kick — in football
  20. track — a path
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. track — to keep track
  24. ground — a position

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