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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 116 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 · object · cell · shower · spell · current · press · hand

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. spell — a short time
  5. object — a thing
  6. shower — rain
  7. current — happening now
  8. current — electric
  9. cell — a phone
  10. shower — to wash
  11. hand — in cards
  12. object — an aim
  13. hand — help
  14. object — to protest
  15. cell — in biology
  16. stand — to bear
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. press — newspapers
  19. current — of water
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. spell — letters
  22. press — to push
  23. spell — magic
  24. press — a publisher

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