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

Word bank: trunk · bowl · shower · deal · object · tear

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. object — an aim
  4. tear — from crying
  5. tear — to rip
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. shower — rain
  10. shower — to wash
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. tear — from crying
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. object — to protest
  17. object — a thing
  18. deal — to handle

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