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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: wake · fan · nail · shower · cabinet · bear · fork · pop

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. fork — in a road
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. pop — to visit
  9. shower — rain
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. wake — a trail
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. shower — to wash
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. pop — music
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. bear — the animal
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. pop — soda

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