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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.

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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 · cabinet · mug · bay · rock · drill · cap · stem

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. mug — to rob
  3. mug — a cup
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. mug — a face
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. drill — a practice
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. rock — a stone
  11. stem — to come from
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. drill — the tool
  14. shower — rain
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. cap — a lid
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. rock — music
  20. shower — to wash
  21. drill — army training
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. cap — a hat

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