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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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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: dip · stem · rest · rule · wave · fall · shower · bat

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. shower — to wash
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. rule — a law
  5. shower — rain
  6. dip — to sink
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. bat — the animal
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. rest — a break
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. fall — to drop
  16. stem — to come from
  17. fall — the season
  18. rule — government
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. fall — to drop
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. rest — what's left
  24. wave — with your hand

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