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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: current · dip · squash · stand · leaves · shower · fall · fork

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  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. squash — the vegetable
  2. squash — the sport
  3. shower — to wash
  4. fork — in a road
  5. shower — rain
  6. fall — to drop
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. fall — to drop
  10. current — electric
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. dip — to sink
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. fall — the season
  17. stand — to bear
  18. current — of water
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. squash — to crush
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. current — happening now
  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