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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 · can · race · staff · present · stick · stand · shower

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. fall — to drop
  3. stand — to bear
  4. present — there
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. fall — to drop
  7. staff — a stick
  8. can — to be able to
  9. staff — employees
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. can — a tin
  12. shower — to wash
  13. race — a contest
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. can — a tin
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. race — the arms race
  18. race — humankind
  19. staff — employees
  20. present — a gift
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. shower — rain
  23. fall — the season
  24. present — the time now

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