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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  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 — to wash
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. charge — electricity
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. suit — clothes
  10. charge — a price
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. bat — the animal
  13. charge — in control
  14. suit — to fit
  15. suit — in cards
  16. shower — rain
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  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