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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: shower · dip · rock · can · craft · ball · current · wake

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. ball — a great time
  3. wake — a trail
  4. current — electric
  5. shower — rain
  6. rock — a stone
  7. current — of water
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. dip — to sink
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — to be able to
  15. can — a tin
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. shower — to wash
  18. craft — a skill
  19. current — happening now
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. rock — music
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. craft — boats
  24. ball — a dance

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