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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: bound · pop · rush · shower · hide · hand · dip · file

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. hand — in cards
  3. bound — tied together
  4. pop — soda
  5. hand — help
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. file — a document
  10. bound — obliged
  11. shower — rain
  12. file — a tool
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. pop — to visit
  16. dip — to sink
  17. pop — music
  18. bound — certain
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. shower — to wash
  21. file — a line of people
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. rush — hurry

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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