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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: nail · stick · kick · snap · vault · stem · rash · leaves

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. rash — hasty
  7. rash — a series
  8. stem — to come from
  9. snap — to click
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. kick — in football
  18. vault — a safe
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. kick — with a leg

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