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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: fan · bank · shower · straw · safe · stand · capital · wake

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. shower — rain
  5. wake — a trail
  6. bank — for money
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. capital — money
  9. shower — to wash
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. bank — for money
  18. capital — a city
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. bank — of a river
  21. stand — to bear
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. capital — a big letter

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