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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: bound · shower · pass · tear · stem · scale · kick · wave

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. tear — from crying
  6. shower — rain
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. pass — a permit
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. stem — to come from
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. bound — obliged
  14. bound — tied together
  15. scale — size or range
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. scale — in music
  18. tear — to rip
  19. bound — certain
  20. kick — in football
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. tear — from crying
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. shower — to wash

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