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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: patient · snap · kick · bank · mate · stick · vault · pop

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. mate — to breed
  3. pop — music
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. pop — to visit
  7. mate — a partner
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. pop — soda
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. kick — in football
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. bank — for money
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. vault — a safe
  20. snap — to click
  21. bank — for money
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. mate — a friend
  24. bank — of a river

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