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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 116 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: fork · bound · pop · kid · file · snap · plane · vault

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. kid — to tease
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. file — a document
  5. plane — a tool
  6. bound — obliged
  7. file — a tool
  8. kid — child
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. pop — soda
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. file — a line of people
  14. snap — to click
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. pop — to visit
  18. bound — tied together
  19. pop — music
  20. fork — in a road
  21. vault — a safe
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. bound — certain
  24. fork — a garden tool

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