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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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Word bank
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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 · dip · hand · vault · rock · lash · root · stock

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. snap — to click
  4. stock — goods
  5. vault — a safe
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. rock — music
  9. root — the cause
  10. hand — help
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. stock — shares
  14. root — of a word
  15. dip — to sink
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. rock — a stone
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. hand — in cards
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. root — of a plant
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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