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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: cap · stem · plane · content · shower · rest · stand · wake

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. stem — to come from
  3. cap — a hat
  4. shower — to wash
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. wake — a trail
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. rest — a break
  10. shower — rain
  11. rest — what's left
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. content — happy
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. content — the amount
  18. plane — a tool
  19. cap — of ice
  20. cap — a lid
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. rest — what's left
  24. stand — to bear

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