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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.

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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: fan · track · shower · lean · pop · dip · bound · content

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. dip — to sink
  4. pop — soda
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. track — to keep track
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. bound — certain
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. content — happy
  12. pop — to visit
  13. bound — obliged
  14. shower — rain
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. lean — to bend
  17. bound — tied together
  18. track — a song
  19. content — the amount
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. lean — thin
  22. track — a path
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. pop — music

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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