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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. scale — in music
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. stand — to bear
  10. date — the fruit
  11. last — finally
  12. last — to go on
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. last — final
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. fall — to drop
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. fall — the season
  20. scale — size or range
  21. shower — to wash
  22. fall — to drop
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. stand — on your feet

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