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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 120 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: mark · present · mouse · game · stem · face · shower · cap

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. game — a match
  4. face — to confront
  5. mark — a grade
  6. cap — a lid
  7. stem — to come from
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. present — the time now
  11. cap — a hat
  12. mark — a trace
  13. shower — to wash
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. shower — rain
  16. present — there
  17. present — a gift
  18. face — part of the head
  19. cap — of ice
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. face — to point toward
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. mouse — for a computer

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