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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: stand · last · plane · scale · bore · shower · mark · hide

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. bore — to drill
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. last — finally
  7. shower — rain
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. mark — a grade
  11. shower — to wash
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. scale — in music
  14. last — to go on
  15. bore — to tire
  16. scale — size or range
  17. last — final
  18. stand — to bear
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. plane — a tool
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. mark — a trace

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