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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 · sharp · chair · craft · bay · bear · shower · pop

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. pop — to visit
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. shower — to wash
  6. pop — music
  7. bear — the animal
  8. craft — boats
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. craft — a skill
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. shower — rain
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. pop — soda
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. bear — the animal
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. stand — to bear
  22. sharp — clever
  23. chair — a leader
  24. stand — for spectators

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