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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 · pound · present · lean · ball · dip · arm · fork

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. dip — to sink
  3. ball — a dance
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. ball — a great time
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. shower — rain
  13. lean — to bend
  14. pound — a weight
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. present — the time now
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. fork — in a road
  19. present — a gift
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. lean — thin
  23. shower — to wash
  24. arm — part of the body

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