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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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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: pound · stand · season · saw · foot · cap · temple · shower

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. saw — the tool
  4. pound — a weight
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. saw — the tool
  8. season — in sport
  9. foot — a measure
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. shower — rain
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. cap — a hat
  16. cap — of ice
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. cap — a lid
  19. stand — to bear
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. shower — to wash
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. foot — the bottom

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