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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 116 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: rush · plane · fan · cabinet · shower · nail · pit · deal

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. pit — in a race
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. pit — a hole
  7. deal — to handle
  8. shower — to wash
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. plane — a tool
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. shower — rain
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. nail — for a hammer

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