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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: bore · spell · stand · pop · plane · lash · ground · fall

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. fall — to drop
  3. stand — to bear
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. pop — to visit
  6. fall — to drop
  7. ground — the earth
  8. bore — to tire
  9. pop — music
  10. spell — a short time
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. pop — soda
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. ground — a position
  16. bore — to drill
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. ground — crushed
  20. spell — letters
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. plane — a tool
  23. fall — the season
  24. spell — magic

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