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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 · pop · stem · hide · snap · mouse · toast · date

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. date — the fruit
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. pop — soda
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. pop — to visit
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. pop — music
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. snap — to click
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. toast — bread
  17. vault — a safe
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. stem — to come from
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. stem — a stem cell

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