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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: mouse · mug · fan · season · bark · arm · shower · row

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. bark — to shout
  3. mug — a face
  4. mug — to rob
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. shower — to wash
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. season — of the year
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. row — a line
  15. season — in sport
  16. mug — a cup
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. row — to paddle
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. bark — of a tree

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