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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: hide · shower · bank · spring · snap · mug · vault · dip

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. mug — a face
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bank — of a river
  5. spring — the season
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. mug — a cup
  8. vault — a safe
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. bank — for money
  11. shower — rain
  12. spring — of water
  13. spring — a coil
  14. dip — to sink
  15. shower — to wash
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. bank — for money
  20. snap — to click
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. mug — to rob

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