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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 · shower · fall · safe · wake · lash · tube · bulb

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  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. stand — on your feet
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. shower — rain
  6. bulb — for light
  7. tube — the underground
  8. bulb — for light
  9. fall — to drop
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. stand — to bear
  14. fall — the season
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. wake — a trail
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. tube — a container
  23. shower — to wash
  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