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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: stick · vault · snap · swing · hand · mark · craft · object

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. hand — help
  3. mark — a grade
  4. snap — to click
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. hand — in cards
  7. swing — music
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. object — to protest
  10. craft — boats
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. vault — a safe
  14. craft — a skill
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. swing — in golf
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. mark — a trace
  22. object — a thing
  23. object — an aim
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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