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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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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: snap · rock · cap · row · shower · wind · toast · mine

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. row — to paddle
  5. mine — for digging
  6. shower — rain
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. wind — moving air
  12. snap — to click
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. cap — a hat
  15. cap — of ice
  16. rock — music
  17. shower — to wash
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. wind — moving air
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. toast — bread
  23. rock — a stone
  24. row — a line

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