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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: mark · wake · stand · fan · track · cap · leaves · shower

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. shower — rain
  4. track — a song
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. mark — a grade
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. mark — a trace
  12. wake — a trail
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. shower — to wash
  15. cap — a lid
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. track — to keep track
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. track — a path
  20. cap — a hat
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. stand — to bear
  24. cap — of ice

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