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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 120 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: scale · kick · march · shower · trunk · bore · stick · stand

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. scale — size or range
  4. stand — to bear
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. shower — rain
  7. march — music
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. bore — to drill
  12. march — the month
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. march — the month
  15. scale — in music
  16. bore — to tire
  17. kick — in football
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. shower — to wash
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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