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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: toast · rush · chair · stem · mouse · shower · ground · wave

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. shower — rain
  3. stem — to come from
  4. toast — bread
  5. rush — hurry
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. ground — a position
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. shower — to wash
  11. chair — a leader
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. ground — the earth
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. ground — crushed
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. mouse — the animal

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