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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.

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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. shower — rain
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. cold — an illness
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. object — an aim
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. cold — not warm
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. current — happening now
  11. object — to protest
  12. current — electric
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. shower — to wash
  15. current — of water
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. wake — a trail
  23. object — a thing
  24. dip — to dunk

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