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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 · cue · land · object · fan · hide · shower · lean

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. cue — for pool
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. land — ground
  5. object — to protest
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. object — an aim
  10. lean — thin
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. shower — rain
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. deal — to handle
  16. lean — to bend
  17. cue — a signal
  18. object — a thing
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. shower — to wash
  22. land — to come down
  23. cue — a hint
  24. land — a country

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