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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · straw · fall · field · stand · ball · bay · can

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. ball — a dance
  3. can — to be able to
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fall — the season
  6. can — a tin
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. field — farmland
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. field — for sport
  12. stand — to bear
  13. ball — a great time
  14. shower — rain
  15. fall — to drop
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. field — a subject
  21. shower — to wash
  22. can — a tin
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. bay — a horse colour

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