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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: lash · stem · cap · deal · suit · shower · bound · hide

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. stem — to come from
  3. suit — in cards
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. cap — a hat
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. cap — a lid
  10. suit — clothes
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. bound — tied together
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. bound — obliged
  16. suit — to fit
  17. shower — to wash
  18. bound — certain
  19. cap — of ice
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. deal — to handle

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