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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: hide · stand · shower · arm · fall · drill · plane · wake

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. drill — a practice
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fall — to drop
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. wake — a trail
  8. stand — to bear
  9. shower — to wash
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. fall — the season
  14. drill — the tool
  15. drill — army training
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. plane — a tool
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. hide — to keep secret

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