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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. bear — the animal
  4. stand — to bear
  5. fall — to drop
  6. fall — to drop
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. bear — the animal
  12. wake — a trail
  13. fall — the season
  14. shower — to wash
  15. cell — in biology
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. cell — a phone
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. fork — in a road
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. racket — for tennis

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