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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: rash · dip · racket · prune · shower · stick · tube · spell

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. shower — rain
  6. shower — to wash
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. rash — a series
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. dip — to sink
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. spell — magic
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. tube — a container
  16. tube — the underground
  17. spell — letters
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. prune — to trim
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. prune — to trim
  24. rash — hasty

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