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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 116 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: rush · bear · bound · shower · wind · pit · lash · fan

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wind — moving air
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. rush — hurry
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. shower — to wash
  8. shower — rain
  9. bound — tied together
  10. bear — the animal
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. pit — in a race
  15. bound — obliged
  16. bound — certain
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. pit — a hole
  20. bear — the animal
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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