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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: pit · fall · spell · vault · snap · net · clip · safe

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. clip — to cut
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — the season
  5. clip — for paper
  6. spell — magic
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. pit — in a race
  9. pit — a hole
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. spell — a short time
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. clip — a video
  15. spell — letters
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. net — after costs
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. net — in sport
  21. snap — to click
  22. net — for catching
  23. vault — a safe
  24. safe — a strongbox

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