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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. land — to come down
  6. land — a country
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. land — ground
  10. charge — a price
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. bark — to shout
  16. charge — electricity
  17. vault — a safe
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. wake — a trail
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. charge — in control

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