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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. current — electric
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. lean — thin
  7. bass — the fish
  8. can — to be able to
  9. foot — a measure
  10. can — a tin
  11. dip — to sink
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. current — happening now
  16. shower — to wash
  17. lean — to bend
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. bark — to shout
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. bass — low music
  22. current — of water
  23. can — a tin
  24. foot — part of the body

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