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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  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. shower — rain
  2. shower — to wash
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. sharp — clever
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. bank — of a river
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. club — a group
  9. club — for dancing
  10. club — for golf
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. bass — the fish
  14. bank — for money
  15. bass — low music
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. file — a document
  18. bank — for money
  19. file — a tool
  20. file — a line of people
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. dip — to sink
  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