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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: rash · nail · plane · fall · net · shower · bulb · saw

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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. shower — rain
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — the tool
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. rash — a series
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. bulb — for light
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. rash — hasty
  14. net — in sport
  15. plane — a tool
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. fall — to drop
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. fall — the season
  20. net — for catching
  21. bulb — for light
  22. net — after costs
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. plane — an aircraft

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