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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: ruler · fall · dip · wind · date · shower · safe · mouse

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. date — the fruit
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. shower — rain
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. fall — to drop
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. shower — to wash
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. wind — moving air
  19. fall — the season
  20. dip — to sink
  21. wind — moving air
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. fall — to drop

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