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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.

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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 · net · snap · shower · hide · rest · mate · hand

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  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. hide — to keep secret
  3. net — for catching
  4. hand — in cards
  5. rest — what's left
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. shower — to wash
  10. spell — a short time
  11. mate — to breed
  12. mate — a partner
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. net — after costs
  15. spell — letters
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. net — in sport
  18. rest — what's left
  19. mate — a friend
  20. spell — magic
  21. rest — a break
  22. hand — help
  23. snap — to click
  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