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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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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. shower — rain
  3. bank — for money
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. tube — a container
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. hand — help
  8. bank — for money
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. bank — of a river
  12. shower — to wash
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. tube — the underground
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. hand — in cards
  19. dip — to sink
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. fan — a supporter
  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