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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: shower · bulb · fall · mark · row · band · stand · firm

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. fall — the season
  3. mark — a trace
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. stand — to bear
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. band — a music group
  8. bulb — for light
  9. firm — steady
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. bulb — for light
  13. firm — decided
  14. fall — to drop
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. mark — a grade
  17. row — a line
  18. fall — to drop
  19. firm — a company
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. shower — rain
  22. band — a ring
  23. shower — to wash
  24. row — to paddle

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