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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 116 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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. vault — a safe
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. net — in sport
  5. shower — to wash
  6. fork — in a road
  7. squash — to crush
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. branch — a division
  10. shower — rain
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. root — of a word
  13. squash — the sport
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. snap — to click
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. net — for catching
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. net — after costs
  21. root — of a plant
  22. root — the cause
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. fork — a garden tool

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