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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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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: tear · dip · mouse · lash · shower · ruler · chip · spring

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. spring — the season
  6. tear — from crying
  7. tear — to rip
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. spring — a coil
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. shower — rain
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. spring — of water
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. dip — to sink
  22. chip — for betting
  23. tear — from crying
  24. chip — to eat

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