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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. can — a tin
  4. firm — decided
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. snap — to click
  7. shower — to wash
  8. mine — for digging
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. can — to be able to
  11. can — a tin
  12. shower — rain
  13. dip — to sink
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. vault — a safe
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. branch — a division
  20. firm — steady
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. firm — a company
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. branch — of a bank

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