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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 120 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: fan · bear · racket · root · wind · mouse · bound · nail

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. bear — the animal
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. bound — certain
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. wind — moving air
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. root — of a word
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. root — of a plant
  16. bound — tied together
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. root — the cause
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. wind — moving air
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. bound — obliged

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