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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: snap · sharp · cabinet · shower · fan · hide · tube · mark

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. tube — a container
  3. shower — rain
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. shower — to wash
  12. snap — to click
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. mark — a grade
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. tube — the underground
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. sharp — clever
  23. mark — a trace
  24. cabinet — ministers

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