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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: stand · court · fall · drill · shower · wave · can · craft

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. fall — the season
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. drill — army training
  6. shower — rain
  7. craft — boats
  8. court — of a king
  9. drill — the tool
  10. fall — to drop
  11. can — to be able to
  12. stand — to bear
  13. craft — a skill
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. fall — to drop
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. drill — a practice
  19. court — for sport
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — a tin
  22. shower — to wash
  23. court — of law
  24. stand — for spectators

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