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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. suit — to fit
  6. shower — to wash
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. shower — rain
  10. hand — help
  11. hand — in cards
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. suit — in cards
  14. suit — clothes
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. snap — to click
  18. fan — a supporter

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