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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · swing · firm · mate · arm · dip · land · tube

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. tube — the underground
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. dip — to sink
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. mate — to breed
  8. land — a country
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. shower — rain
  11. land — ground
  12. land — to come down
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. tube — a container
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. firm — a company
  17. mate — a friend
  18. firm — decided
  19. mate — a partner
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. swing — to play on
  22. swing — music
  23. shower — to wash
  24. swing — in golf

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