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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 120 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: shower · clip · dip · pop · current · fan · race · ruler

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. shower — to wash
  3. clip — to cut
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. pop — to visit
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. current — of water
  10. shower — rain
  11. pop — soda
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. race — a contest
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. current — electric
  17. race — the arms race
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. clip — for paper
  20. current — happening now
  21. pop — music
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. race — humankind
  24. clip — a video

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