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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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. stick — a piece of wood
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. snap — to click
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. chip — for betting
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. fall — the season
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. chip — to eat
  14. deal — to handle
  15. vault — a safe
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fall — to drop
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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