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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: snap · rash · pitcher · bowl · shower · bay · lie · bore

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. shower — rain
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. bore — to drill
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. rash — a series
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. rash — hasty
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. shower — to wash
  24. lie — to recline

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