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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: shower · lean · stem · arm · saw · mark · present · mouse

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. present — a gift
  3. stem — to come from
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. lean — thin
  7. present — there
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. present — the time now
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. mark — a grade
  14. lean — to bend
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. shower — to wash
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mark — a trace
  24. saw — the tool

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