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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: fan · shower · deal · jam · vault · saw · pop · mine

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. deal — to handle
  3. saw — the tool
  4. mine — for digging
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. shower — to wash
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. pop — soda
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. vault — a safe
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. pop — music
  18. shower — rain
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. saw — the tool
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. pop — to visit
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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