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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: stand · season · dip · snap · vault · foot · stock · hand

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. season — of the year
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. hand — in cards
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. vault — a safe
  13. season — in sport
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. snap — to click
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. stand — to bear
  19. stock — goods
  20. stock — shares
  21. dip — to sink
  22. foot — a measure
  23. hand — help
  24. season — to add flavour

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