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

Word bank: roll · dip · net · shower · clip · fan

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. net — after costs
  4. clip — a video
  5. net — for catching
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. clip — to cut
  8. shower — to wash
  9. roll — a list
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. shower — rain
  12. roll — a cake
  13. net — in sport
  14. dip — to sink
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. clip — for paper
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. dip — a sauce

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