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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · bear · rash · dip · plane · bound · shower · swing

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. 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. mug — to rob
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. shower — to wash
  4. swing — to play on
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. bound — tied together
  7. swing — music
  8. bear — the animal
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. shower — rain
  11. bound — certain
  12. dip — to sink
  13. plane — a tool
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. rash — hasty
  16. swing — in golf
  17. mug — a cup
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. bound — obliged
  20. mug — a face
  21. bear — the animal
  22. rash — a series
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. 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