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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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. hand — part of the body
  4. hand — in cards
  5. shower — rain
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. current — happening now
  10. rush — hurry
  11. hand — help
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. bass — low music
  14. shower — to wash
  15. current — of water
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. present — a gift
  18. present — there
  19. bass — the fish
  20. ball — a great time
  21. present — the time now
  22. current — electric
  23. ball — a dance
  24. 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