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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: mouse · wound · tube · fan · bore · shower · drill · stand

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. drill — the tool
  5. tube — a container
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. wound — an injury
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. bore — to tire
  13. stand — to bear
  14. drill — army training
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. tube — the underground
  17. shower — rain
  18. wound — an injury
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. bore — to drill
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. drill — a practice
  24. shower — to wash

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