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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: stock · cell · can · fan · snap · rush · wake · shower

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. cell — in biology
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. rush — hurry
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. can — a tin
  12. stock — goods
  13. cell — a phone
  14. stock — shares
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. shower — rain
  18. can — to be able to
  19. wake — a trail
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. snap — to click
  22. can — a tin
  23. shower — to wash
  24. wake — before a funeral

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