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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 120 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: pop · bat · snap · bore · wave · vault · firm · prune

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. pop — to visit
  4. vault — a safe
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. prune — to trim
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. prune — to trim
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. bore — to drill
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. pop — soda
  15. bore — to tire
  16. firm — steady
  17. firm — decided
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. pop — music
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. snap — to click
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. bat — the animal

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