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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 120 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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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: pit · bank · foot · shower · season · fork · straw · fall

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. shower — rain
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. foot — a measure
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. fall — to drop
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. bank — for money
  9. bank — of a river
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. fork — in a road
  12. pit — in a race
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. fall — to drop
  15. season — of the year
  16. bank — for money
  17. fall — the season
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. season — in sport
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. shower — to wash
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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