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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: foot · season · snap · wave · dip · staff · fork · vault

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. season — in sport
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. vault — a safe
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. staff — employees
  11. snap — to click
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. staff — employees
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. foot — a measure
  17. dip — to sink
  18. season — of the year
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. staff — a stick
  22. fork — in a road
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. fork — a garden tool

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