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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. shower — to wash
  3. branch — a division
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. shower — rain
  8. hand — help
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. ball — a dance
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. pass — a permit
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. hand — in cards
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. ball — a great time

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