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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 120 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: bear · bulb · fork · shower · mate · club · fan · staff

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. shower — rain
  3. mate — a partner
  4. fork — in a road
  5. shower — to wash
  6. bulb — for light
  7. mate — a friend
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. club — for dancing
  10. bulb — for light
  11. staff — a stick
  12. club — for golf
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. mate — to breed
  15. club — a group
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. staff — employees
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. staff — employees
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. bear — the animal

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