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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: hide · club · shower · firm · lie · stock · stand · ground

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. shower — rain
  4. stock — goods
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. club — for golf
  7. ground — the earth
  8. firm — a company
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. stand — to bear
  11. ground — crushed
  12. club — for dancing
  13. stock — shares
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. shower — to wash
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. club — a group
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. lie — to recline
  23. ground — a position
  24. firm — decided

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