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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.

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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: mark · fan · scale · suit · wound · fall · shower · ball

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. shower — to wash
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. scale — in music
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. suit — clothes
  9. fall — the season
  10. mark — a grade
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. suit — to fit
  13. fall — to drop
  14. shower — rain
  15. suit — in cards
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. wound — an injury
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. scale — size or range
  21. wound — an injury
  22. mark — a trace
  23. ball — a great time
  24. ball — a dance

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