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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. kick — in football
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. bear — the animal
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. present — a gift
  11. bear — the animal
  12. staff — employees
  13. snap — to click
  14. staff — a stick
  15. present — there
  16. stock — shares
  17. stock — goods
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. present — the time now
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. shower — to wash
  22. shower — rain
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. staff — employees

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