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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 116 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: bass · dip · file · pit · snap · shower · cue · band

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. pit — a hole
  4. cue — a hint
  5. snap — to click
  6. file — a document
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. pit — in a race
  9. band — a ring
  10. band — a music group
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. cue — a signal
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. bass — low music
  15. file — a tool
  16. shower — rain
  17. file — a line of people
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. bass — the fish
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. shower — to wash
  23. cue — for pool
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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