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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. rush — hurry
  3. swing — music
  4. bank — for money
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. firm — decided
  7. firm — steady
  8. fine — high quality
  9. fine — all right
  10. bank — for money
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. swing — in golf
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. firm — a company
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. vault — a safe
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. bank — of a river
  24. swing — to play on

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