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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: wave · leaves · bat · tube · deal · snap · kick · vault

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. kick — in football
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. tube — a container
  6. tube — the underground
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. bat — the animal
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. snap — to click
  13. deal — to handle
  14. vault — a safe
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. tube — in a tire

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