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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. can — a tin
  5. shower — rain
  6. object — to protest
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. can — to be able to
  9. object — an aim
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. kid — to tease
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. bass — the fish
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. can — a tin
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. object — a thing
  18. wake — a trail
  19. stock — shares
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. stock — goods
  22. kid — child
  23. shower — to wash
  24. bass — low music

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