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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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. wake — a trail
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. vault — a safe
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. snap — to click
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. kick — in football
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. chip — to eat
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. stock — shares
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. chip — for betting
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. stock — goods

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