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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 120 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: stand · snap · hide · scale · bowl · pass · row · shower

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. row — a line
  3. pass — a permit
  4. scale — in music
  5. stand — to bear
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. row — to paddle
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. shower — to wash
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. snap — to click
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. scale — size or range
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. bowl — a dish

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