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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: dip · game · bank · shower · toast · stick · rest · scale

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. bank — of a river
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. game — wild animals
  5. rest — what's left
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. rest — what's left
  8. shower — rain
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. scale — in music
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. shower — to wash
  15. bank — for money
  16. dip — to sink
  17. game — a match
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. bank — for money
  20. rest — a break
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. scale — size or range
  23. toast — bread
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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