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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.

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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: dip · spring · mouse · hide · content · shower · mark · date

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. date — the fruit
  3. mark — a grade
  4. dip — to sink
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. content — happy
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. spring — of water
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. spring — the season
  13. mark — a trace
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. spring — a coil
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. shower — to wash
  21. content — the amount
  22. shower — rain
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. mouse — the animal

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