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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  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 — for spectators
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. roll — a list
  4. fall — to drop
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. capital — money
  7. stand — to bear
  8. roll — a cake
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. shower — to wash
  11. mate — to breed
  12. bank — for money
  13. fall — the season
  14. fall — to drop
  15. mate — a partner
  16. capital — a city
  17. mate — a friend
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. bank — for money
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. snap — to click
  22. bank — of a river
  23. capital — a big letter
  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