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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: fan · bulb · tube · stock · can · shower · wake · toast

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. shower — rain
  3. shower — to wash
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. stock — shares
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. bulb — for light
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. can — a tin
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. wake — a trail
  13. stock — goods
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. bulb — for light
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. can — a tin
  19. tube — a container
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. toast — bread
  23. tube — the underground
  24. can — to be able to

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