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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: wind · date · ruler · shower · fan · nail · perch · fine

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. shower — rain
  3. wind — moving air
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. date — the fruit
  16. fine — all right
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. perch — the fish
  19. wind — moving air
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. fine — high quality

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