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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: deal · snap · kid · vault · kick · foot

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. kid — child
  4. foot — a measure
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. deal — to handle
  12. kid — to tease
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. vault — a safe
  15. kick — in football
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. snap — to click
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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