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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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. mouse — for a computer
  5. shower — rain
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bank — for money
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bank — of a river
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. net — in sport
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. bark — to shout
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. net — for catching
  20. net — after costs
  21. bank — for money
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. toast — bread

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