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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 · bear · shower · craft · dip · deal · bowl · arm

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. shower — rain
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. shower — to wash
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. dip — to sink
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. craft — a skill
  16. craft — boats
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. snap — to click
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. deal — to handle
  22. bear — the animal
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. bear — the animal

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