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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: deal · chip · wave · fall · shower · season · race · stand

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. fall — the season
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. chip — to eat
  5. stand — to bear
  6. deal — to handle
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. race — a contest
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. season — in sport
  11. fall — to drop
  12. chip — for betting
  13. fall — to drop
  14. shower — to wash
  15. race — humankind
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. season — of the year
  21. shower — rain
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. race — the arms race

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