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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: snap · wave · arm · kick · saw · vault · tear · firm

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. vault — a safe
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. saw — the tool
  7. snap — to click
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. firm — a company
  10. saw — the tool
  11. firm — decided
  12. tear — from crying
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. firm — steady
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. tear — from crying
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. tear — to rip
  24. kick — in football

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