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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: mate · nail · bulb · fan · shower · stock · cabinet · season

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. bulb — for light
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. mate — a partner
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. mate — to breed
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. mate — a friend
  11. season — in sport
  12. stock — shares
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. stock — goods
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. bulb — for light
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. shower — to wash
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. season — of the year
  24. nail — for a hammer

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