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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: kick · bank · stand · row · lie · foot · march · shower

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. foot — a measure
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. march — music
  6. march — the month
  7. lie — to recline
  8. bank — of a river
  9. shower — rain
  10. shower — to wash
  11. kick — in football
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. row — to paddle
  17. bank — for money
  18. bank — for money
  19. march — the month
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. row — a line
  23. stand — to bear
  24. stand — for spectators

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