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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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. mate — to breed
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. mate — a partner
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. fall — to drop
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. mate — a friend
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. fall — the season
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. vault — a safe
  18. rush — hurry
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. plane — a tool
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. snap — to click
  24. fall — to drop

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