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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
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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: ruler · season · shower · spell · stem · bulb · staff · can

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. stem — to come from
  3. can — a tin
  4. season — of the year
  5. shower — to wash
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. can — to be able to
  9. spell — magic
  10. spell — letters
  11. bulb — for light
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. staff — employees
  14. spell — a short time
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. bulb — for light
  17. staff — a stick
  18. shower — rain
  19. can — a tin
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. season — in sport
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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