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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: deal · rush · shower · racket · fan · toast · rock · mark

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. rock — music
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. toast — bread
  10. rush — hurry
  11. mark — a grade
  12. shower — rain
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. rock — a stone
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. deal — to handle
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. mark — a trace
  24. shower — to wash

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