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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: nail · pound · fan · shower · lash · cabinet · stand · spring

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. shower — to wash
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. spring — a coil
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. shower — rain
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. spring — the season
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. pound — a weight
  20. stand — to bear
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. spring — of water
  24. pound — for dogs

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