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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 · game · mug · suit · date · foot · shower · fall

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. date — the fruit
  5. fall — the season
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. shower — rain
  8. game — wild animals
  9. suit — clothes
  10. fall — to drop
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. mug — a face
  13. fall — to drop
  14. mug — a cup
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. shower — to wash
  18. foot — a measure
  19. suit — in cards
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. game — a match
  23. suit — to fit
  24. mug — to rob

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