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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. can — a tin
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. last — to go on
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. pop — to visit
  8. vault — a safe
  9. snap — to click
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. pop — music
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. last — final
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. branch — a division
  18. can — to be able to
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. stand — to bear
  21. pop — soda
  22. last — finally
  23. can — a tin
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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