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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 · shower · bass · foot · can · fall · board · fine

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. shower — to wash
  5. board — a committee
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. can — a tin
  8. fine — all right
  9. shower — rain
  10. fine — high quality
  11. can — to be able to
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. can — a tin
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. bass — the fish
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. fall — the season
  20. foot — a measure
  21. fall — to drop
  22. bass — low music
  23. board — to get on
  24. leaves — of a tree

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