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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 · wake · vault · patient · present · fan · prune · deal

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. prune — to trim
  3. present — a gift
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. vault — a safe
  6. wake — a trail
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. present — there
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. prune — to trim
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. deal — to handle
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. snap — to click
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. present — the time now
  24. deal — a big deal

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