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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 · chest · chip · stick · kick · deal · bore · snap

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. chip — to eat
  6. snap — to click
  7. chest — of your body
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. chest — of your body
  10. chest — a box
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. bore — to tire
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. vault — a safe
  20. bore — to drill
  21. kick — in football
  22. deal — to handle
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. bore — gave birth

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