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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · craft · racket · bass · shower · stick · fan · squash

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. squash — to crush
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. craft — boats
  6. bass — low music
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. dip — to sink
  10. shower — to wash
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. craft — a skill
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. squash — the sport
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. bass — the fish

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