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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: vault · rule · kick · suit · snap · branch

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. suit — to fit
  5. suit — in cards
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. suit — clothes
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. vault — a safe
  11. kick — in football
  12. branch — a division
  13. rule — a law
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. rule — government
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. snap — to snap out of it

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