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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: lean · nail · shower · pass · tube · wind

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. lean — thin
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. tube — a container
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. shower — rain
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. wind — moving air
  15. lean — to bend
  16. tube — the underground
  17. shower — to wash
  18. pass — a permit

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