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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: nail · suit · pit · tube · rash · fan · shower · mouse

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. rash — a series
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. suit — to fit
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. shower — rain
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. shower — to wash
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. suit — clothes
  15. tube — a container
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. suit — in cards
  19. pit — in a race
  20. tube — the underground
  21. pit — a hole
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. rash — hasty
  24. fan — a supporter

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