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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: track · roll · tear · foot · calf · stand · file · shower

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. roll — a cake
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. stand — to bear
  6. shower — rain
  7. track — a path
  8. tear — from crying
  9. track — to keep track
  10. tear — to rip
  11. roll — a list
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. shower — to wash
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. file — a line of people
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. foot — a measure
  18. tear — from crying
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. track — a song
  21. file — a document
  22. file — a tool
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. foot — part of the body

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