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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 · wind · bank · mate · stick · rest · jam · shower

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. shower — rain
  3. rest — what's left
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. mate — to breed
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. fall — the season
  11. mate — a friend
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. rest — a break
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. rest — what's left
  16. wind — moving air
  17. bank — for money
  18. bank — for money
  19. shower — to wash
  20. fall — to drop
  21. bank — of a river
  22. fall — to drop
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. wind — moving air

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