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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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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: stand · pass · bowl · wake · cabinet · pound · shower · cell

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. wake — a trail
  3. stand — to bear
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. cell — in biology
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. pass — a permit
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. cell — a phone
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. shower — to wash
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. shower — rain
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. pound — a weight
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. pound — for dogs

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