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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 120 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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Word bank
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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: pop · fan · file · mark · kid · snap · vault · lean

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. pop — music
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. pop — to visit
  5. kid — child
  6. file — a tool
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. mark — a grade
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. pop — soda
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. file — a line of people
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. lean — to bend
  16. file — a document
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. lean — thin
  19. mark — a trace
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. vault — a safe
  22. kid — to tease
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. snap — to click

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