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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pitcher · chip · fan · wave · tear · mug · fork · shower

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. shower — rain
  3. mug — a face
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. shower — to wash
  7. tear — to rip
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. mug — a cup
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. chip — to eat
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. fork — in a road
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. mug — to rob
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. chip — for betting
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. tear — from crying
  24. chip — in a computer

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