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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
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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 · snap · can · club · spring · foot · fan · vault

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  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. shower — rain
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. can — to be able to
  5. can — a tin
  6. spring — the season
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. can — a tin
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. spring — a coil
  14. vault — a safe
  15. snap — to click
  16. shower — to wash
  17. club — a group
  18. club — for dancing
  19. club — for golf
  20. foot — a measure
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. spring — of water
  23. fan — a supporter
  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