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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: fall · pass · hide · tear · shower · season · foot · bore

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. bore — to drill
  3. bore — to tire
  4. fall — to drop
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. tear — to rip
  7. fall — the season
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. tear — from crying
  11. shower — rain
  12. fall — to drop
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. foot — a measure
  15. shower — to wash
  16. tear — from crying
  17. season — of the year
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. pass — a permit
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. hide — to keep secret

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