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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. shower — to wash
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. dip — to sink
  6. bank — of a river
  7. game — a match
  8. bank — for money
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. bank — for money
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. wax — to grow
  16. rush — hurry
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. game — wild animals
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. shower — rain

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