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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. shower — to wash
  3. mug — a face
  4. dip — to sink
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. shower — rain
  9. cap — of ice
  10. rock — a stone
  11. cap — a lid
  12. cap — a hat
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. mug — to rob
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. rock — music
  18. 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