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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: bound · dip · roll · cap · shower · saw · track · firm

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. dip — to sink
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. bound — tied together
  5. firm — decided
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bound — certain
  10. roll — a list
  11. roll — a cake
  12. firm — a company
  13. track — a path
  14. shower — to wash
  15. cap — of ice
  16. shower — rain
  17. track — to keep track
  18. cap — a lid
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. firm — steady
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. cap — a hat
  23. bound — obliged
  24. track — a song

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