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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 · fall · snap · pitch · drill · kick · dip · toast

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. drill — the tool
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fall — to drop
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. drill — a practice
  8. fall — the season
  9. drill — army training
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. toast — bread
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. pitch — completely
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. dip — to sink
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. vault — a safe
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. snap — to click

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