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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.

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 · object · dip · mine · mouse · can · cap · chair

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. can — to be able to
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. cap — a lid
  6. can — a tin
  7. object — an aim
  8. dip — to sink
  9. chair — a leader
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. cap — of ice
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. mine — for digging
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. object — a thing
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. can — a tin
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. object — to protest
  21. shower — rain
  22. shower — to wash
  23. cap — a hat
  24. mouse — the animal

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