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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. key — in music
  3. face — to point toward
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. face — part of the head
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. wake — a trail
  12. face — to confront
  13. key — for a lock
  14. content — the amount
  15. content — happy
  16. vault — a safe
  17. present — there
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. present — a gift
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. key — the most important part
  24. present — the time now

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