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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
468
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: craft · chest · file · pop · shower · wound · bank · date

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. date — the fruit
  3. wound — an injury
  4. file — a line of people
  5. bank — of a river
  6. wound — an injury
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. pop — soda
  10. chest — of your body
  11. bank — for money
  12. chest — of your body
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. file — a tool
  16. chest — a box
  17. pop — to visit
  18. bank — for money
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. pop — music
  21. craft — a skill
  22. craft — boats
  23. file — a document
  24. shower — to wash

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