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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: fan · swing · kick · stand · lie · ground · shower · cabinet

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. ground — a position
  4. shower — rain
  5. stand — to bear
  6. swing — in golf
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. swing — music
  12. kick — in football
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. swing — to play on
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. ground — crushed
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. ground — the earth
  24. shower — to wash

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