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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. present — a gift
  3. present — the time now
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. snap — to click
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. wake — a trail
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lie — to recline
  12. ball — a dance
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. kick — in football
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. present — there
  22. ball — a great time
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. wave — with your hand

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