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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. shower — rain
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. net — in sport
  6. wind — moving air
  7. shower — to wash
  8. rest — a break
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. mark — a trace
  13. rest — what's left
  14. mark — a grade
  15. net — for catching
  16. wind — moving air
  17. net — after costs
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. bass — the fish
  20. rest — what's left
  21. bass — low music
  22. dip — to sink
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. bass — the instrument

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