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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bass · dip · shower · fork · swing · hide

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. 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. fork — a garden tool
  2. swing — to play on
  3. swing — in golf
  4. shower — to wash
  5. bass — low music
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. fork — in a road
  10. swing — music
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bass — the fish
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. shower — rain
  16. dip — to sink
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. 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