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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
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: snap · shower · bank · cabinet · rash · bat · ball · mate

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. rash — a series
  3. ball — a dance
  4. mate — to breed
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. bank — for money
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. bank — of a river
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. shower — rain
  11. shower — to wash
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. rash — hasty
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. mate — a friend
  19. mate — a partner
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. ball — a great time
  23. bat — the animal
  24. bank — for money

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