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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: mark · dip · snap · stem · shower · cabinet · bass · firm

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. mark — a grade
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. snap — to click
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. mark — a trace
  9. shower — rain
  10. dip — to sink
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. firm — a company
  13. stem — to come from
  14. firm — steady
  15. shower — to wash
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. bass — low music
  21. firm — decided
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. cabinet — ministers

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