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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: ground · cap · fan · stand · bear · shower · lie · cabinet

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  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. stand — for spectators
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. cap — of ice
  4. cap — a lid
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. shower — to wash
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bear — the animal
  10. ground — the earth
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. cap — a hat
  14. ground — a position
  15. lie — to recline
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. bear — the animal
  19. shower — rain
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. ground — crushed
  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