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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: spell · snap · vault · straw · cold · mug · safe · prune

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. cold — not warm
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. mug — a cup
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. spell — magic
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. cold — an illness
  16. spell — letters
  17. mug — a face
  18. prune — to trim
  19. snap — to click
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. prune — to trim
  23. mug — to rob
  24. vault — a safe

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