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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fork · snap · bat · deal · vault · patient

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. snap — to click
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. vault — a safe
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. fork — in a road
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. deal — to handle
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. patient — a sick person

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