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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: game · scale · foot · mug · wind · fan · pass · shower

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. wind — moving air
  3. mug — a face
  4. shower — to wash
  5. wind — moving air
  6. pass — a permit
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. shower — rain
  10. mug — to rob
  11. scale — size or range
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. foot — a measure
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. scale — in music
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. mug — a cup
  23. game — wild animals
  24. game — a match

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