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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
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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: toast · mouse · shower · fan · squash · wound · row · coach

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. wound — an injury
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. squash — to crush
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. shower — rain
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. squash — the sport
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. wound — an injury
  19. row — to paddle
  20. shower — to wash
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. row — a line
  24. toast — bread

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