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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. vault — a safe
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. ball — a great time
  8. club — a group
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. club — for golf
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. ball — a dance
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. club — for dancing
  17. snap — to click
  18. stand — to bear
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. wind — moving air
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. wind — moving air
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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