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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: stand · can · hand · cabinet · land · shower · race · hide

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. land — to come down
  3. shower — to wash
  4. land — a country
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. race — humankind
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. shower — rain
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. hand — help
  11. can — a tin
  12. race — a contest
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — to be able to
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. land — ground
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. hand — in cards
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. stand — to bear

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