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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: hide · clip · spring · vault · date · mark · craft · shower

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. shower — rain
  4. date — the fruit
  5. spring — the season
  6. shower — to wash
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. craft — boats
  11. mark — a grade
  12. clip — for paper
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. craft — a skill
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. mark — a trace
  17. clip — to cut
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. vault — a safe
  21. spring — of water
  22. clip — a video
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. hide — to keep secret

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