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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · chair · hand · fork · mark · face · stand · can

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. can — to be able to
  3. shower — rain
  4. hand — in cards
  5. face — part of the head
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. face — to point toward
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. hand — help
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. can — a tin
  13. shower — to wash
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. can — a tin
  17. fork — in a road
  18. mark — a trace
  19. mark — a grade
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. stand — to bear
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. chair — a leader
  24. face — to confront

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