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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: stand · pop · shower · hide · kick · foot · nail · can

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. pop — to visit
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. shower — to wash
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. can — a tin
  13. foot — a measure
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. pop — music
  17. shower — rain
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. pop — soda
  20. can — to be able to
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. can — a tin
  23. kick — in football
  24. foot — the bottom

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