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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: shower · march · rash · firm · mine · lean · stand · board

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. lean — thin
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. board — to get on
  5. firm — steady
  6. march — the month
  7. march — music
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. lean — to bend
  10. stand — to bear
  11. shower — rain
  12. rash — a series
  13. firm — a company
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. march — the month
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. board — a committee
  19. rash — hasty
  20. shower — to wash
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. mine — for digging
  23. firm — decided
  24. board — a flat piece

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