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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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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: fall · stand · board · march · rock · shower · mate · sharp

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  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. sharp — with an edge
  3. rock — a stone
  4. march — the month
  5. shower — rain
  6. mate — a partner
  7. board — a committee
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. march — the month
  10. sharp — clever
  11. fall — to drop
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. mate — to breed
  14. shower — to wash
  15. march — music
  16. board — to get on
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. mate — a friend
  19. rock — music
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fall — the season
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. stand — on your feet
  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