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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: land · bay · rush · fork · shower · rock · stem · tube

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. rock — a stone
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. shower — to wash
  7. land — to come down
  8. fork — in a road
  9. land — a country
  10. rush — hurry
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. tube — a container
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. shower — rain
  16. tube — the underground
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. rock — music
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. stem — to come from
  23. land — ground
  24. fork — to eat with

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