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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 124 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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. face — to point toward
  3. bound — certain
  4. rush — hurry
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. face — part of the head
  7. bound — obliged
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. dip — to sink
  12. kid — child
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. bound — tied together
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. kid — to tease
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. vault — a safe
  21. face — to confront
  22. snap — to click
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. rush — a thrill

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