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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: dip · stick · straw · shower · press · ball · mug · hide

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. ball — a great time
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. ball — a dance
  9. mug — a face
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. shower — rain
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. press — a publisher
  14. mug — to rob
  15. press — to push
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. press — newspapers
  18. dip — to sink
  19. mug — a cup
  20. shower — to wash
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. hide — to keep secret

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