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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. last — to go on
  4. deal — to handle
  5. fall — to drop
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. shower — rain
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. last — finally
  11. stand — to bear
  12. fall — to drop
  13. lean — thin
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. fall — the season
  16. perch — the fish
  17. shower — to wash
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. sharp — clever
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. lean — to bend
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. last — final

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