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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.

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: snap · charge · pitcher · cap · tube · vault · dip · shower

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. shower — to wash
  3. charge — electricity
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. shower — rain
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. dip — to sink
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. charge — in control
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. vault — a safe
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. snap — to click
  16. cap — a hat
  17. charge — a price
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. cap — a lid
  20. tube — a container
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. tube — the underground
  24. tube — in a tire

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