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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: plane · stand · shower · rest · net · can · rash · key

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. key — in music
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. can — a tin
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. rash — hasty
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. can — to be able to
  11. rest — what's left
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. can — a tin
  14. key — for a lock
  15. rest — a break
  16. rest — what's left
  17. net — for catching
  18. stand — to bear
  19. net — after costs
  20. key — the most important part
  21. rash — a series
  22. shower — rain
  23. plane — a tool
  24. net — in sport

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