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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 116 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: shower · kid · squash · dip · snap · cabinet

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. dip — to sink
  3. squash — the sport
  4. shower — to wash
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. squash — to crush
  7. shower — rain
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. kid — child
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. kid — to tease
  16. snap — to click
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. snap — to snap out of it

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