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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: stand · shower · scale · present · spell · object · lash · bulb

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. present — there
  4. bulb — for light
  5. object — to protest
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. scale — in music
  8. spell — a short time
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. stand — to bear
  11. shower — rain
  12. object — an aim
  13. bulb — for light
  14. present — a gift
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. spell — magic
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. spell — letters
  21. present — the time now
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. shower — to wash
  24. object — a thing

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