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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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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: ground · snap · can · prune · shower · mouse · chest · mate

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. snap — to click
  4. ground — a position
  5. ground — crushed
  6. chest — a box
  7. can — a tin
  8. shower — rain
  9. chest — of your body
  10. ground — the earth
  11. chest — of your body
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. mate — to breed
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. can — to be able to
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. prune — to trim
  19. mate — a friend
  20. shower — to wash
  21. mate — a partner
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. prune — to trim
  24. mouse — 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