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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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Word bank
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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  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. snap — to click
  2. charge — electricity
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. charge — a price
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. rest — what's left
  13. charge — in control
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. vault — a safe
  16. rest — a break
  17. bat — the animal
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. perch — the fish
  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