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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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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: suit · wind · cell · tear · drill · pound · shower · fine

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. shower — to wash
  3. drill — a practice
  4. drill — the tool
  5. drill — army training
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. tear — to rip
  10. wind — moving air
  11. fine — all right
  12. shower — rain
  13. tear — from crying
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. suit — in cards
  16. wind — moving air
  17. cell — in biology
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. tear — from crying
  20. fine — high quality
  21. suit — clothes
  22. suit — to fit
  23. cell — a phone
  24. pound — a weight

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