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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: lean · saw · pop · wind · dip · shower · lash · mine

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. mine — for digging
  3. shower — rain
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. pop — to visit
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. dip — to sink
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. wind — moving air
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. lean — thin
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. saw — the tool
  18. pop — music
  19. shower — to wash
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. saw — the tool
  23. lean — to bend
  24. pop — soda

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