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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: snap · present · bore · file · wind · stand · shower · can

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. bore — to tire
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. present — there
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. present — the time now
  10. shower — rain
  11. shower — to wash
  12. file — a line of people
  13. present — a gift
  14. file — a document
  15. can — a tin
  16. file — a tool
  17. can — to be able to
  18. bore — to drill
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. can — a tin
  22. snap — to click
  23. stand — to bear
  24. wind — moving air

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