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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 120 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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. can — a tin
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. spring — a coil
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. snap — to click
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. deal — to handle
  11. present — the time now
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — to be able to
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. present — there
  18. present — a gift
  19. spring — the season
  20. wake — a trail
  21. vault — a safe
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. spring — of water

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