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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: fall · stand · pitcher · stick · mug · press · shower · wave

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. fall — the season
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. press — to push
  9. shower — rain
  10. mug — a cup
  11. shower — to wash
  12. mug — to rob
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. press — newspapers
  16. fall — to drop
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. stand — to bear
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. press — a publisher
  23. fall — to drop
  24. mug — a face

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