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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. lean — thin
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. mug — a face
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. key — for a lock
  7. vault — a safe
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. swing — music
  10. hand — in cards
  11. lean — to bend
  12. swing — in golf
  13. mug — to rob
  14. key — the most important part
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. stock — shares
  17. hand — help
  18. mug — a cup
  19. key — in music
  20. snap — to click
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. stock — goods
  23. swing — to play on
  24. stock — a soup base

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