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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: shower · current · stand · lean · saw · racket · rock · fall

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. fall — the season
  3. stand — to bear
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. fall — to drop
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. saw — the tool
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. rock — music
  11. lean — to bend
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. shower — to wash
  15. fall — to drop
  16. rock — a stone
  17. current — happening now
  18. saw — the tool
  19. current — electric
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. shower — rain
  22. current — of water
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. lean — thin

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