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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: dip · degree · bank · lash · shower · safe · row · pitcher

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. shower — to wash
  3. row — a line
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. row — to paddle
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. degree — an amount
  10. dip — to sink
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. bank — of a river
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. bank — for money
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. degree — temperature
  17. bank — for money
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. shower — rain

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