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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: ball · leaves · saw · bank · fan · arm · shower · can

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. ball — a great time
  7. can — to be able to
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. shower — rain
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. ball — a dance
  13. can — a tin
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. bank — for money
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. can — a tin
  19. saw — the tool
  20. shower — to wash
  21. bank — for money
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. bank — of a river

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