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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: game · fan · perch · shower · mug · fine · rash · hand

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. shower — to wash
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. mug — to rob
  5. rash — a series
  6. mug — a cup
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. game — wild animals
  10. fine — all right
  11. mug — a face
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. shower — rain
  16. perch — the fish
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. hand — in cards
  20. fine — high quality
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. rash — hasty
  23. hand — help
  24. game — a match

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