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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 116 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: pass · fine · cell · mine · hide · root · shower · stand

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. shower — to wash
  3. stand — to bear
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. root — of a word
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. fine — all right
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. cell — a phone
  11. cell — in biology
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. root — of a plant
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. mine — for digging
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. fine — high quality
  23. shower — rain
  24. root — the cause

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