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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. lie — to recline
  3. fall — the season
  4. shower — rain
  5. shower — to wash
  6. fall — to drop
  7. can — to be able to
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. court — of law
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. court — of a king
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. can — a tin
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. fall — to drop
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. court — for sport
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. can — a tin
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mouse — for a computer

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