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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 · mate · wake · shower · bore · fall · rash · can

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. stand — to bear
  3. fall — the season
  4. rash — hasty
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. mate — a friend
  7. shower — to wash
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. can — to be able to
  10. can — a tin
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. can — a tin
  14. fall — to drop
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. wake — a trail
  17. mate — to breed
  18. shower — rain
  19. bore — to tire
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. bore — to drill
  23. rash — a series
  24. mate — a partner

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