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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.

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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: content · snap · board · dip · shower · mouse · sharp · bank

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bank — of a river
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. shower — rain
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. board — to get on
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. dip — to sink
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. shower — to wash
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. content — happy
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. sharp — clever
  19. content — the amount
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. board — a committee
  23. bank — for money
  24. snap — to click

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