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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: capital · march · dip · shower · pitch · bore · wave · lash

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. march — music
  3. march — the month
  4. shower — rain
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. dip — to sink
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. pitch — completely
  15. bore — to drill
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. capital — money
  20. capital — a city
  21. march — the month
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. bore — to tire

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