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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: track · nail · bay · mug · dip · rush · wave · shower

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. track — a song
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. mug — a cup
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. shower — to wash
  8. mug — to rob
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. mug — a face
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. shower — rain
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. dip — to sink
  18. rush — hurry
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. track — to keep track
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. nail — for a hammer

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