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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
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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: content · shower · hand · game · nail · fan · plane · fine

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. shower — rain
  3. hand — in cards
  4. fine — all right
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. hand — help
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. content — the amount
  11. game — wild animals
  12. plane — a tool
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. content — happy
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. game — a match
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. shower — to wash
  23. fine — high quality
  24. nail — on a finger

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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