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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 · hand · lie · racket · firm · fall · wake · coach

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. shower — rain
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. fall — to drop
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. lie — to recline
  7. firm — steady
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. firm — decided
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. fall — to drop
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. fall — the season
  20. hand — help
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. hand — in cards
  23. shower — to wash
  24. firm — a company

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