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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 120 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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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: pass · shower · fan · firm · wind · calf · mate · content

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. firm — a company
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. wind — moving air
  5. pass — a permit
  6. shower — to wash
  7. shower — rain
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. firm — steady
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. content — the amount
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. mate — to breed
  15. wind — moving air
  16. mate — a friend
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. content — happy
  19. firm — decided
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. mate — a partner

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