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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: pound · present · stem · craft · shower · lash · leaves · squash

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. present — the time now
  4. present — a gift
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. squash — to crush
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. craft — a skill
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. stem — to come from
  11. shower — rain
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. present — there
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. shower — to wash
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. craft — boats
  24. pound — a weight

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