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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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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: content · bay · ground · kick · stem · shower · mate · rest

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. content — happy
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rest — what's left
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. rest — a break
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. kick — in football
  13. ground — crushed
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. stem — to come from
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. ground — the earth
  19. mate — a partner
  20. content — the amount
  21. shower — to wash
  22. mate — to breed
  23. shower — rain
  24. mate — a friend

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