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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: mug · board · stand · hide · net · hand · bulb · shower

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. net — after costs
  6. hand — help
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. shower — rain
  10. board — to get on
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. shower — to wash
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. mug — a face
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. mug — to rob
  17. bulb — for light
  18. hand — in cards
  19. bulb — for light
  20. mug — a cup
  21. board — a committee
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. net — for catching
  24. net — in sport

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