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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 · current · coach · saw · band · foot · stem · rule

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. stem — to come from
  3. shower — to wash
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. band — a ring
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. saw — the tool
  9. rule — a law
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. current — electric
  12. current — of water
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. foot — a measure
  15. band — a music group
  16. rule — government
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. current — happening now
  19. saw — the tool
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. shower — rain
  24. coach — a trainer

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