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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: hide · stand · shower · pit · craft · tear

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. stand — to bear
  3. shower — to wash
  4. tear — from crying
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. tear — to rip
  7. tear — from crying
  8. pit — in a race
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. shower — rain
  13. craft — boats
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. pit — a hole
  18. hide — to keep secret

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