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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: shower · stand · bear · mouse · rush · game · net · trunk

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. bear — the animal
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. net — in sport
  6. game — wild animals
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. game — a match
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. shower — to wash
  13. stand — to bear
  14. shower — rain
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. rush — hurry
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. net — for catching
  19. bear — the animal
  20. net — after costs
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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