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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: dip · mine · pit · shower · trunk · hide · season · field

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. dip — to sink
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. shower — rain
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. field — a subject
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. season — in sport
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. field — for sport
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. mine — for digging
  20. pit — in a race
  21. season — of the year
  22. pit — a hole
  23. shower — to wash
  24. field — farmland

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