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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 116 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: firm · kick · stem · can · squash · sharp · present · shower

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. firm — decided
  3. present — there
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. present — a gift
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. firm — a company
  9. present — the time now
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. shower — to wash
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. can — a tin
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. kick — in football
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. squash — to crush
  18. stem — to come from
  19. squash — the sport
  20. sharp — clever
  21. can — to be able to
  22. firm — steady
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. shower — rain

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