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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: shower · firm · dip · bear · net · fine · season · hand

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. firm — decided
  6. net — after costs
  7. bear — the animal
  8. fine — all right
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. hand — in cards
  11. fine — high quality
  12. hand — help
  13. net — for catching
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. firm — a company
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. net — in sport
  19. shower — to wash
  20. bear — the animal
  21. firm — steady
  22. season — of the year
  23. shower — rain
  24. season — in sport

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