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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: hide · land · stem · board · shower · craft · squash · bulb

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. bulb — for light
  4. board — a committee
  5. craft — boats
  6. shower — rain
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. shower — to wash
  9. land — ground
  10. board — to get on
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. land — to come down
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. craft — a skill
  17. stem — to come from
  18. land — a country
  19. squash — to crush
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bulb — for light
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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