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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: snap · march · wake · plane · fork · vault · fan · pit

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. march — the month
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. march — the month
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. snap — to click
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. wake — a trail
  14. fork — in a road
  15. vault — a safe
  16. pit — in a race
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. march — music
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. pit — a hole
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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