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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 · bulb · clip · leaves · bowl · dip · club · sharp

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. club — a group
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. shower — rain
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. clip — a video
  11. shower — to wash
  12. bulb — for light
  13. club — for golf
  14. club — for dancing
  15. bulb — for light
  16. clip — to cut
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. dip — to sink
  22. sharp — clever
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. clip — for paper

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