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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: nail · wound · chest · pound · bulb · shower · rush · bay

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. chest — of your body
  3. shower — to wash
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. shower — rain
  8. wound — an injury
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. chest — a box
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. bulb — for light
  14. wound — an injury
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. rush — hurry
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. pound — a weight
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. chest — of your body
  22. bulb — for light
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. bulb — of a plant

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