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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: snap · ground · march · patient · deal · fork · kick · vault

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. march — the month
  3. deal — to handle
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. march — the month
  6. ground — crushed
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. ground — a position
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. ground — the earth
  15. march — music
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. kick — in football
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. fork — in a road
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. vault — a safe
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. snap — to click

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