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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 116 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
468
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 · dip · staff · mouse · fan · patient · bark · vault

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. shower — rain
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. staff — a stick
  9. bark — to shout
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. staff — employees
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. vault — a safe
  16. shower — to wash
  17. staff — employees
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. dip — to sink
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. fan — to cool the air

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