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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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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: mark · cold · stand · can · lash · snap · shower · vault

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. shower — rain
  3. shower — to wash
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. can — a tin
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. snap — to click
  9. cold — not warm
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. vault — a safe
  14. can — a tin
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. cold — an illness
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. mark — a trace
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. stand — to bear
  23. can — to be able to
  24. stand — on your feet

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