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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: ball · dip · hand · ruler · shower · pop · lean · pass

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. pop — soda
  3. pop — to visit
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. shower — rain
  9. dip — to sink
  10. ball — a dance
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. lean — to bend
  14. hand — help
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. ball — a great time
  17. pop — music
  18. lean — thin
  19. pass — a permit
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. hand — in cards
  24. pass — to succeed

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