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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: mouse · vault · date · shower · bear · snap · cap · mark

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. cap — a hat
  4. date — the fruit
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. mark — a grade
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. mark — a trace
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. snap — to click
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. cap — of ice
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. vault — a safe
  17. bear — the animal
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. cap — a lid
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. shower — rain
  23. shower — to wash
  24. bear — the animal

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