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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. bat — the animal
  4. bear — the animal
  5. wake — a trail
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. snap — to click
  8. cap — a lid
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. stand — to bear
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. cap — of ice
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. cap — a hat
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. vault — a safe
  24. nail — on a finger

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