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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · fan · date · fork · mouse · charge · straw · bowl

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. fork — in a road
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. charge — a price
  13. date — the fruit
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. shower — rain
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. charge — in control
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. shower — to wash
  24. charge — electricity

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