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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: mark · mouse · toast · club · snap · shower · clip · deal

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. deal — to handle
  3. mark — a trace
  4. shower — rain
  5. clip — to cut
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. club — for dancing
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. club — a group
  11. snap — to click
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. mark — a grade
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. club — for golf
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. clip — a video
  20. shower — to wash
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. toast — bread
  24. clip — for paper

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