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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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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: vault · drill · snap · club · suit · dip · shower · wave

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. drill — the tool
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. shower — to wash
  6. suit — clothes
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. snap — to click
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. club — for golf
  11. suit — in cards
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. vault — a safe
  16. club — a group
  17. dip — to sink
  18. drill — army training
  19. drill — a practice
  20. club — for dancing
  21. suit — to fit
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. wave — with your hand

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