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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: shower · rock · lean · rush · kick · can · stand · spell

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. rock — music
  4. shower — to wash
  5. spell — letters
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. can — a tin
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. can — to be able to
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. kick — in football
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. lean — thin
  16. shower — rain
  17. rush — hurry
  18. rock — a stone
  19. stand — to bear
  20. can — a tin
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. spell — magic
  24. lean — to bend

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