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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: drill · temple · bowl · track · shower · fork · can · fan

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — a tin
  7. drill — the tool
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. can — to be able to
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. drill — a practice
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. track — to keep track
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. drill — army training
  16. track — a path
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. fork — in a road
  23. track — a song
  24. shower — rain

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