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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: dip · shower · rash · mark · trunk · lie · stick · content

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. mark — a trace
  4. rash — hasty
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. dip — to sink
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. shower — rain
  9. content — happy
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. shower — to wash
  13. rash — a series
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. content — the amount
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. mark — a grade
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. lie — to recline
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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