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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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. prune — to trim
  4. prune — to trim
  5. shower — to wash
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. current — electric
  10. current — of water
  11. mine — for digging
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. present — the time now
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. current — happening now
  18. rush — hurry
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. fine — high quality
  21. present — a gift
  22. fine — all right
  23. present — there
  24. rush — to hurry

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