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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: pound · stand · shower · plane · roll · straw · dip · present

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. dip — to sink
  3. roll — a list
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. pound — a weight
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. plane — a tool
  9. present — a gift
  10. present — the time now
  11. roll — a cake
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. shower — rain
  14. present — there
  15. shower — to wash
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. stand — to bear
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. straw — dry grass

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