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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: shower · pass · wound · cap · dip · current · racket · kid

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. cap — of ice
  3. current — happening now
  4. pass — a permit
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. wound — an injury
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. current — of water
  10. cap — a hat
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. kid — child
  13. shower — to wash
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. shower — rain
  18. current — electric
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. wound — an injury
  21. cap — a lid
  22. dip — to sink
  23. kid — to tease
  24. dip — a sauce

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