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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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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: cue · rest · fan · row · net · bass · bore · shower

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. rest — what's left
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bore — to tire
  6. net — after costs
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. shower — rain
  10. row — to paddle
  11. rest — a break
  12. bore — to drill
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. cue — for pool
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. cue — a hint
  17. net — for catching
  18. bass — low music
  19. shower — to wash
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. rest — what's left
  22. cue — a signal
  23. row — a line
  24. net — in sport

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