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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. key — in music
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. hand — help
  7. hand — in cards
  8. rule — a law
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. snap — to click
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. rule — government
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. band — a ring
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. key — for a lock
  19. vault — a safe
  20. kick — in football
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. key — the most important part
  23. band — a music group
  24. dip — to sink

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