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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: can · spring · fan · stick · net · craft · shower · arm

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. net — in sport
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. spring — a coil
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. shower — to wash
  9. can — a tin
  10. spring — of water
  11. net — after costs
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. craft — a skill
  14. net — for catching
  15. shower — rain
  16. craft — boats
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. can — a tin
  22. can — to be able to
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. spring — the season

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