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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 116 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: staff · craft · tear · last · sharp · shower · fall · stand

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. tear — from crying
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. staff — a stick
  6. fall — the season
  7. tear — from crying
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. stand — to bear
  10. sharp — clever
  11. tear — to rip
  12. staff — employees
  13. shower — to wash
  14. last — final
  15. craft — a skill
  16. staff — employees
  17. fall — to drop
  18. craft — boats
  19. last — finally
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. last — to go on
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. fall — to drop

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