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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.

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: stock · rock · shower · cell · mine · mate · leaves · swing

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. swing — in golf
  5. rock — music
  6. swing — music
  7. mate — a friend
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. swing — to play on
  10. shower — rain
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. mine — for digging
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. mate — to breed
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. mate — a partner
  18. shower — to wash
  19. rock — a stone
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. stock — goods
  22. stock — shares
  23. cell — a phone
  24. leaves — to go away

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