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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: chest · fine · stem · snap · firm · swing · pit · vault

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. firm — a company
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. swing — to play on
  5. swing — in golf
  6. chest — of your body
  7. pit — a hole
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. chest — a box
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. firm — steady
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. pit — in a race
  16. stem — to come from
  17. swing — music
  18. firm — decided
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. vault — a safe
  21. fine — high quality
  22. chest — of your body
  23. snap — to click
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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