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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: game · vault · safe · snap · hand · land · scale · spell

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. vault — a safe
  5. scale — in music
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. snap — to click
  8. land — a country
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. hand — help
  12. game — a match
  13. game — wild animals
  14. land — to come down
  15. scale — size or range
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. spell — magic
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. land — ground
  21. spell — a short time
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. spell — letters
  24. hand — part of the body

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