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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: pop · shower · lie · cabinet · stand · straw · suit · stick

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. shower — rain
  6. shower — to wash
  7. lie — to recline
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. suit — to fit
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. pop — to visit
  15. suit — clothes
  16. pop — soda
  17. stand — to bear
  18. pop — music
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. cabinet — ministers

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