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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 124 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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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. fan — to cool the air
  4. file — a line of people
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. bank — for money
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. file — a tool
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. root — of a word
  13. root — the cause
  14. club — for dancing
  15. file — a document
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. root — of a plant
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. shower — rain
  21. club — a group
  22. bank — for money
  23. club — for golf
  24. bank — of a river

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