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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: stand · spring · chest · stick · shower · key · wave · lean

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. stand — to bear
  5. spring — a coil
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. lean — to bend
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. key — the most important part
  11. spring — of water
  12. key — in music
  13. chest — of your body
  14. chest — a box
  15. spring — the season
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. chest — of your body
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. lean — thin
  20. shower — to wash
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. key — for a lock
  23. shower — rain
  24. lean — to rest against

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