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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: perch · sharp · shower · fall · stand · last · wave · object

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. sharp — clever
  3. stand — to bear
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. last — to go on
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. perch — the fish
  8. fall — the season
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. object — to protest
  13. shower — to wash
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. object — an aim
  16. object — a thing
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. last — final
  20. shower — rain
  21. last — finally
  22. fall — to drop
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. fall — to drop

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