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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: snap · bore · craft · game · suit · vault · hide · cap

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. vault — a safe
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. suit — to fit
  5. cap — a hat
  6. bore — to tire
  7. suit — in cards
  8. snap — to click
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. cap — of ice
  13. suit — clothes
  14. craft — boats
  15. game — a match
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. cap — a lid
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. game — wild animals
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. craft — a skill
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. bore — to drill
  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