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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. stand — to bear
  3. fall — to drop
  4. shower — rain
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. plane — a tool
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. present — there
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. present — a gift
  16. present — the time now
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. craft — a skill
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. fall — the season
  21. craft — boats
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. fall — to drop
  24. stand — for spectators

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