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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: shower · cue · stand · rock · can · lie · mine · branch

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. shower — to wash
  3. rock — a stone
  4. branch — a division
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. can — a tin
  8. cue — a signal
  9. can — a tin
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. mine — for digging
  12. can — to be able to
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. cue — for pool
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. lie — to recline
  21. rock — music
  22. cue — a hint
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. shower — rain

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