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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: cell · shower · toast · swing · mouse · dip · prune · safe

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. dip — to sink
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. shower — rain
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. prune — to trim
  10. toast — bread
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. cell — a phone
  15. cell — in biology
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. prune — to trim
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. shower — to wash
  22. swing — to play on
  23. swing — in golf
  24. swing — music

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