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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: calf · cell · pass · court · stand · shower · present · bank

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. bank — of a river
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. cell — a phone
  6. bank — for money
  7. court — of law
  8. shower — to wash
  9. court — for sport
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. bank — for money
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. present — a gift
  14. pass — a permit
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. cell — in biology
  18. stand — to bear
  19. present — the time now
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. present — there
  23. court — of a king
  24. pass — to spend time

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