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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: mug · firm · file · last · bay · lash · fan · shower

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. last — to go on
  4. last — finally
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. mug — a cup
  7. mug — a face
  8. firm — steady
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. mug — to rob
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. last — final
  13. firm — a company
  14. shower — rain
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. file — a tool
  17. file — a line of people
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. file — a document
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. firm — decided
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. lash — to lash out

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