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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 · pop · tear · cabinet · calf · shower · plane · pass

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. pass — a permit
  3. shower — rain
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. pop — soda
  8. plane — a tool
  9. shower — to wash
  10. tear — to rip
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. tear — from crying
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. pop — music
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. tear — from crying
  21. dip — to sink
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. pop — to visit

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