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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 120 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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. shower — rain
  3. foot — a measure
  4. sharp — clever
  5. shower — to wash
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. scale — in music
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. mug — a cup
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. bank — for money
  16. bank — for money
  17. mug — to rob
  18. bank — of a river
  19. mug — a face
  20. scale — size or range
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. perch — the fish
  24. sharp — with an edge

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