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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: sharp · land · mark · pit · wave · dip · calf · shower

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. pit — in a race
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. land — ground
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. pit — a hole
  13. mark — a grade
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. mark — a trace
  16. shower — rain
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. land — to come down
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. shower — to wash
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. sharp — clever
  23. land — a country
  24. dip — to sink

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