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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 116 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: bore · can · drill · lie · shower · pass · fall · craft

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. craft — a skill
  4. bore — to tire
  5. drill — a practice
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. can — a tin
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. fall — to drop
  11. can — to be able to
  12. bore — to drill
  13. shower — to wash
  14. can — a tin
  15. lie — to recline
  16. fall — the season
  17. drill — the tool
  18. pass — a permit
  19. craft — boats
  20. drill — army training
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. fall — to drop

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