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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.

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: bear · rush · land · object · shower · stand · mate · snap

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. mate — a friend
  3. land — to come down
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. snap — to click
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. mate — a partner
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. bear — the animal
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. land — ground
  12. rush — hurry
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. mate — to breed
  16. shower — to wash
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. object — to protest
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. shower — rain
  21. object — a thing
  22. land — a country
  23. bear — the animal
  24. stand — to bear

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