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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 116 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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. shower — to wash
  5. can — a tin
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. can — to be able to
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. pound — a weight
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. stand — to bear
  18. shower — rain
  19. can — a tin
  20. firm — decided
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. firm — steady

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