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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: wake · cabinet · court · shower · bark · stem · nail · suit

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. court — for sport
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. stem — to come from
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. shower — to wash
  8. suit — clothes
  9. suit — to fit
  10. court — of a king
  11. suit — in cards
  12. bark — to shout
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. shower — rain
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. court — of law
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. stem — of a plant

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