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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
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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: bowl · rule · swing · sharp · shower · trunk · calf · dip

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  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. shower — to wash
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. swing — music
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. rule — a law
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. rule — government
  9. swing — to play on
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. swing — in golf
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. sharp — clever
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. shower — rain
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  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