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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 · fan · deal · stock · staff · kid · vault · trunk

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. stock — goods
  3. snap — to click
  4. vault — a safe
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. staff — employees
  8. deal — to handle
  9. stock — shares
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. staff — employees
  15. kid — child
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. kid — to tease
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. trunk — of a tree

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