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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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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: leaves · snap · swing · wake · pass · vault · lie · charge

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. lie — to recline
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. swing — to play on
  5. snap — to click
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. wake — a trail
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. swing — music
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. pass — a permit
  16. charge — in control
  17. swing — in golf
  18. vault — a safe
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. charge — electricity
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. charge — a price

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