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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 · shower · stem · key · fine · net · wake · ruler

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. fine — high quality
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. stem — to come from
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. shower — to wash
  10. net — in sport
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. key — in music
  15. key — for a lock
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. fine — all right
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. net — after costs
  21. net — for catching
  22. wake — a trail
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. key — the most important part

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