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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: racket · saw · fan · cell · cabinet · shower · trunk · fall

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. saw — the tool
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. saw — the tool
  5. cell — a phone
  6. fall — to drop
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. fall — the season
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. shower — rain
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. cell — in biology
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. shower — to wash
  24. fan — a supporter

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