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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. spell — magic
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. vault — a safe
  6. spell — a short time
  7. fine — high quality
  8. fine — all right
  9. game — a match
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. spell — letters
  12. game — wild animals
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. row — to paddle
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. row — a line
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. rush — hurry
  24. snap — to click

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