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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: firm · object · mouse · shower · dip · spring · ruler · pop

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. spring — a coil
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. firm — decided
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. dip — to sink
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. pop — to visit
  12. firm — steady
  13. object — to protest
  14. pop — music
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. spring — the season
  17. shower — to wash
  18. object — a thing
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. shower — rain
  21. firm — a company
  22. object — an aim
  23. spring — of water
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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