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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 120 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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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. bank — of a river
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. field — farmland
  6. field — for sport
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. snap — to click
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. vault — a safe
  17. perch — the fish
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. field — a subject
  20. bank — for money
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. bank — for money
  24. perch — for a bird

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