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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: fan · deal · bat · vault · snap · stem · race · arm

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. snap — to click
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. race — the arms race
  7. deal — to handle
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. vault — a safe
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. stem — to come from
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. race — a contest
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. bat — the animal
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. race — humankind

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