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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: firm · dip · file · shower · foot · game · fall · bay

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. game — wild animals
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. file — a document
  5. shower — to wash
  6. fall — the season
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. firm — steady
  9. fall — to drop
  10. firm — a company
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. file — a line of people
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. firm — decided
  17. dip — to sink
  18. file — a tool
  19. shower — rain
  20. foot — a measure
  21. game — a match
  22. fall — to drop
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. bay — a horse colour

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