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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: mate · shower · hand · dip · bulb · present · kid · cue

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. bulb — for light
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. mate — a partner
  6. kid — child
  7. cue — a signal
  8. present — a gift
  9. hand — in cards
  10. mate — a friend
  11. hand — help
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. bulb — for light
  15. shower — rain
  16. present — there
  17. cue — for pool
  18. present — the time now
  19. kid — to tease
  20. cue — a hint
  21. mate — to breed
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. dip — to sink
  24. shower — to wash

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