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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: bass · dip · shower · fork · swing · hide · club · spell

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. spell — magic
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. fork — in a road
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. club — a group
  8. swing — music
  9. shower — rain
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bass — low music
  12. swing — to play on
  13. club — for golf
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. spell — letters
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. swing — in golf
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. shower — to wash
  23. spell — a short time
  24. dip — to sink

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