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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: bore · season · wind · wave · bear · vault · rock · snap

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. bear — the animal
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. bore — to tire
  10. season — of the year
  11. snap — to click
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. wind — moving air
  14. rock — a stone
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. bore — to drill
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. season — in sport
  19. bear — the animal
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. rock — music
  23. vault — a safe
  24. wind — moving air

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