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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: chip · firm · date · hide · fall · dip · shower · trunk

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. firm — steady
  3. firm — decided
  4. fall — the season
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. dip — to sink
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. fall — to drop
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. chip — for betting
  15. shower — to wash
  16. fall — to drop
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. chip — to eat
  19. date — the fruit
  20. firm — a company
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. hide — to keep secret

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