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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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. staff — employees
  3. staff — employees
  4. squash — to crush
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bass — the fish
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. snap — to click
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. squash — the sport
  15. staff — a stick
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bass — low music
  19. vault — a safe
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. calf — a young animal

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