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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: mouse · bass · shower · lean · rule · dip · firm · land

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. firm — steady
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. rule — a law
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. land — a country
  7. shower — rain
  8. dip — to sink
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. rule — government
  12. land — to come down
  13. shower — to wash
  14. land — ground
  15. lean — thin
  16. lean — to bend
  17. bass — the fish
  18. firm — a company
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. firm — decided
  22. bass — low music
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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