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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. snap — to click
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. craft — boats
  9. vault — a safe
  10. mine — for digging
  11. tube — the underground
  12. kick — in football
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. track — a path
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. track — to keep track
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. tube — a container
  21. craft — a skill
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. hide — to keep secret

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