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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: kick · patient · fan · dip · bowl · stick · vault · snap

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. vault — a safe
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. dip — to sink
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. snap — to click
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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