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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: shower · nail · lie · dip · firm · cell · roll · file

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. firm — a company
  4. file — a document
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. file — a tool
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. roll — a cake
  10. lie — to recline
  11. roll — a list
  12. dip — to sink
  13. shower — to wash
  14. shower — rain
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. cell — a phone
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. file — a line of people
  20. firm — steady
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. firm — decided
  24. nail — on a finger

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