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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: net · rush · land · stand · band · hide · wound · shower

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. wound — an injury
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. shower — rain
  5. land — to come down
  6. land — ground
  7. wound — an injury
  8. land — a country
  9. band — a music group
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. band — a ring
  14. rush — hurry
  15. net — in sport
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. net — for catching
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. shower — to wash
  20. net — after costs
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. stand — to bear
  24. rush — to hurry

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