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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: leaves · stand · march · fall · object · spell · scale · shower

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. spell — letters
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. spell — a short time
  7. scale — in music
  8. stand — to bear
  9. object — a thing
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. fall — the season
  14. march — music
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. spell — magic
  17. object — an aim
  18. shower — to wash
  19. fall — to drop
  20. shower — rain
  21. scale — size or range
  22. object — to protest
  23. march — the month
  24. fall — to drop

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