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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: can · hide · ball · spring · snap · shower · firm · bear

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. can — to be able to
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. shower — rain
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. ball — a dance
  7. can — a tin
  8. bear — the animal
  9. shower — to wash
  10. spring — of water
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. snap — to click
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. spring — the season
  16. ball — a great time
  17. firm — a company
  18. firm — decided
  19. spring — a coil
  20. firm — steady
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. bear — the animal
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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