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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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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: dip · foot · jam · club · present · rush · cap · shower

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. present — there
  4. club — a group
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. shower — rain
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. club — for dancing
  10. dip — to sink
  11. present — the time now
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. foot — a measure
  15. rush — hurry
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. shower — to wash
  18. club — for golf
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. cap — a hat
  23. cap — a lid
  24. present — a gift

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