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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: straw · fall · pitcher · wave · stand · shower · safe · bank

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. fall — to drop
  3. bank — for money
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. fall — to drop
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. fall — the season
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. bank — of a river
  18. shower — rain
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. stand — to bear
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. bank — for money
  24. straw — dry grass

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