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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. vault — a safe
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — to be able to
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. snap — to click
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. deal — to handle
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. game — a match
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. game — wild animals
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. nail — for a hammer

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