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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: vault · lie · bowl · mouse · firm · hide · kid · snap

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. lie — to recline
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. firm — decided
  8. kid — child
  9. kid — to tease
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. firm — a company
  13. snap — to click
  14. firm — steady
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. vault — a safe

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