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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: pop · dip · staff · snap · bore · bank · shower · race

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. bank — for money
  3. shower — rain
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. snap — to click
  7. bank — of a river
  8. bank — for money
  9. staff — employees
  10. bore — to tire
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. dip — to sink
  13. pop — to visit
  14. staff — a stick
  15. pop — music
  16. pop — soda
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. race — humankind
  19. bore — to drill
  20. shower — to wash
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. race — a contest
  24. staff — employees

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