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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: can · rock · fan · shower · cabinet · squash · dip · snap

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. dip — to sink
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. squash — to crush
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. shower — to wash
  12. rock — a stone
  13. shower — rain
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. can — a tin
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. squash — the sport
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. snap — to click
  21. can — a tin
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. rock — music
  24. dip — a sauce

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