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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.

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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: spell · vault · shower · snap · content · saw · ball · sharp

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. saw — the tool
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. sharp — clever
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. snap — to click
  9. saw — the tool
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. vault — a safe
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. content — the amount
  14. ball — a dance
  15. ball — a great time
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. shower — rain
  18. spell — magic
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. spell — letters
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. content — happy
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. shower — to wash

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