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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: chair · mate · vault · kick · plane · snap

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. plane — a tool
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. mate — a partner
  7. mate — a friend
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. kick — in football
  12. snap — to click
  13. mate — to breed
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. chair — a leader
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. chair — to sit on

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