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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: can · stand · shower · fan · object · pound · branch · stem

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. shower — to wash
  5. object — to protest
  6. branch — a division
  7. stem — to come from
  8. pound — a weight
  9. object — a thing
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. object — an aim
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. stand — to bear
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. can — a tin
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — to be able to
  24. shower — rain

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