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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: mug · sharp · shower · dip · bowl · mine · arm · object

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. dip — to sink
  3. shower — to wash
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. mug — a cup
  7. object — an aim
  8. object — to protest
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. sharp — clever
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. shower — rain
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. mine — for digging
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. mug — to rob
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. mug — a face
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. object — a thing

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