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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 · jam · wound · rest · wake · racket · snap · stand

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. wound — an injury
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. snap — to click
  15. rest — what's left
  16. wake — a trail
  17. rest — what's left
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. wound — an injury
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. vault — a safe
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. rest — a break

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