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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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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. foot — a measure
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. stand — to bear
  7. wind — moving air
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. wind — moving air
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. pound — a weight
  12. bank — for money
  13. saw — the tool
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. shower — to wash
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. bank — of a river
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. bank — for money
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. saw — the tool
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. shower — rain

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