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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: hand · net · file · fork · shower · bore · fan · wave

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. bore — to drill
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. bore — to tire
  7. shower — rain
  8. net — for catching
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. file — a document
  11. net — in sport
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. net — after costs
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. shower — to wash
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. fork — in a road
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. hand — help
  23. file — a tool
  24. hand — in cards

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