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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 116 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: pop · root · kid · patient · snap · vault · season · leaves

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. pop — to visit
  8. snap — to click
  9. pop — soda
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. vault — a safe
  14. season — of the year
  15. season — in sport
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. root — of a plant
  18. kid — to tease
  19. pop — music
  20. root — the cause
  21. kid — child
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. root — of a word

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