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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: fine · bound · fan · shower · snap · calf · race · ground

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bound — certain
  3. race — the arms race
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. bound — tied together
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. race — a contest
  9. shower — to wash
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. fine — all right
  12. shower — rain
  13. fine — high quality
  14. snap — to click
  15. bound — obliged
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. ground — crushed
  19. ground — a position
  20. ground — the earth
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. race — humankind
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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