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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: toast · safe · bore · fan · shower · wake · tear · track

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  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. fan — a supporter
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. shower — rain
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. toast — bread
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. track — a song
  9. wake — a trail
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. bore — to drill
  12. tear — to rip
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. shower — to wash
  18. bore — to tire
  19. track — a path
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. track — to keep track
  22. tear — from crying
  23. tear — from crying
  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