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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 shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. snap — to click
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. vault — a safe
  5. mark — a grade
  6. rest — what's left
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. rock — a stone
  11. rock — music
  12. mine — for digging
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. wound — an injury
  18. mark — a trace
  19. rest — a break
  20. wound — an injury
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. rush — hurry
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. rest — what's left

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