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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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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: cue · bore · stick · stem · net · shower · hand · toast

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. cue — for pool
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. hand — in cards
  6. cue — a signal
  7. shower — to wash
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. bore — to drill
  10. net — for catching
  11. cue — a hint
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. bore — to tire
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. shower — rain
  19. hand — help
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. net — in sport
  23. toast — bread
  24. net — after costs

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