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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: stand · rush · jam · fan · spring · kick · date · shower

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. spring — the season
  4. date — the fruit
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. rush — hurry
  8. shower — to wash
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. spring — of water
  16. spring — a coil
  17. stand — to bear
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. kick — in football
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. fan — a supporter

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