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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: mug · drill · bulb · bat · dip · pound · spell · shower

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. drill — army training
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. bulb — for light
  6. spell — letters
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. drill — a practice
  9. spell — a short time
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. shower — rain
  12. drill — the tool
  13. mug — a cup
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. bulb — for light
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. pound — a weight
  18. bat — the animal
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. shower — to wash
  22. dip — to sink
  23. spell — magic
  24. mug — a face

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