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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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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 · bear · firm · mate · rash · stand · rest · sharp

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. rash — hasty
  3. mate — a partner
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. bear — the animal
  6. firm — a company
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. mate — to breed
  10. rest — what's left
  11. firm — steady
  12. rest — a break
  13. firm — decided
  14. rest — what's left
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. rash — a series
  17. shower — rain
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. stand — to bear
  20. sharp — clever
  21. bear — the animal
  22. mate — a friend
  23. shower — to wash
  24. sharp — with an edge

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