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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: deal · bank · dip · bulb · cabinet · sharp · cold · shower

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  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 sink
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. bank — of a river
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. deal — to handle
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. cold — an illness
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. bulb — for light
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bulb — for light
  14. shower — to wash
  15. bank — for money
  16. bank — for money
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cold — not warm
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. sharp — clever
  22. shower — rain
  23. dip — a sauce
  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