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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: stem · pitcher · wind · stick · tube · season · shower · game

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. shower — rain
  6. tube — a container
  7. shower — to wash
  8. game — wild animals
  9. game — a match
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. wind — moving air
  13. wind — moving air
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. tube — the underground
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. season — in sport
  21. stem — to come from
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. season — of the year
  24. game — a kind of play

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