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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: bound · bass · ball · foot · nail · squash · shower · fan

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. bound — tied together
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. bound — obliged
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. squash — to crush
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. foot — a measure
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. shower — rain
  15. ball — a great time
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. squash — the sport
  19. bound — certain
  20. ball — a dance
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bass — low music
  24. bass — the fish

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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