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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. shower — rain
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. field — farmland
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. wake — a trail
  9. branch — a division
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. saw — the tool
  12. lean — to bend
  13. field — a subject
  14. lean — thin
  15. field — for sport
  16. shower — to wash
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. saw — the tool
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. nail — on a finger

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