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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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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: wound · drill · firm · shower · deal · jam · ground · fan

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. firm — a company
  5. firm — steady
  6. ground — crushed
  7. drill — the tool
  8. deal — to handle
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. ground — a position
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. shower — to wash
  15. drill — army training
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. ground — the earth
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. firm — decided
  21. drill — a practice
  22. wound — an injury
  23. shower — rain
  24. deal — an agreement

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