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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: current · track · snap · kid · fork · saw · vault · temple

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. kid — to tease
  4. vault — a safe
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. kid — child
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. track — a song
  10. current — of water
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. saw — the tool
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. current — happening now
  15. current — electric
  16. track — a path
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. fork — in a road
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. snap — to click
  21. saw — the tool
  22. track — to keep track
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. fork — a garden tool

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