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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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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: fork · suit · shower · fan · mine · coach · staff · toast

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. staff — employees
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. mine — for digging
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. shower — to wash
  8. fork — in a road
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. suit — to fit
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. toast — bread
  13. shower — rain
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. suit — in cards
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. suit — clothes
  22. staff — a stick
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. staff — employees

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