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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: mouse · hide · fall · march · shower · tube · bore · stand

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. fall — to drop
  3. shower — rain
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. shower — to wash
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. bore — to drill
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. fall — the season
  12. bore — to tire
  13. fall — to drop
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. stand — to bear
  17. march — the month
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. march — music
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. tube — a container
  23. march — the month
  24. tube — the underground

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