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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've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. ball — a dance
  4. race — humankind
  5. cap — a lid
  6. bank — of a river
  7. bank — for money
  8. cap — a hat
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. cap — of ice
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. race — the arms race
  15. shower — rain
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. ball — a great time
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. kid — child
  21. race — a contest
  22. bank — for money
  23. kid — to tease
  24. shower — to wash

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