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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: stick · bear · shower · lie · jam · current · foot · land

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. bear — the animal
  3. lie — to recline
  4. shower — rain
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. current — happening now
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. current — electric
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. bear — the animal
  11. land — to come down
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. land — ground
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. foot — a measure
  19. current — of water
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. land — a country
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. foot — part of the body

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