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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: rash · shower · spell · stand · lean · bound · fall · firm

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. bound — certain
  3. spell — letters
  4. stand — to bear
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. fall — to drop
  8. firm — a company
  9. spell — magic
  10. fall — the season
  11. shower — rain
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. spell — a short time
  14. lean — to bend
  15. bound — obliged
  16. fall — to drop
  17. rash — a series
  18. bound — tied together
  19. firm — decided
  20. firm — steady
  21. shower — to wash
  22. lean — thin
  23. rash — hasty
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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