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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: shower · roll · foot · rash · sharp · fan · bowl · craft

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. shower — rain
  3. roll — a list
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. shower — to wash
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. sharp — clever
  13. rash — hasty
  14. foot — a measure
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. craft — boats
  21. roll — a cake
  22. craft — a skill
  23. rash — a series
  24. craft — a handicraft

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