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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 · arm · dip · rock · date · stick · fine · wind

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. shower — rain
  3. rock — music
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. dip — to sink
  7. shower — to wash
  8. rock — a stone
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. wind — moving air
  18. date — the fruit
  19. fine — all right
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. fine — high quality
  23. wind — moving air
  24. date — on the calendar

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