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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.

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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: drill · snap · race · season · chest · mug · suit · vault

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. mug — to rob
  3. race — a contest
  4. suit — in cards
  5. season — of the year
  6. snap — to click
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. chest — a box
  9. drill — army training
  10. vault — a safe
  11. drill — a practice
  12. chest — of your body
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. season — in sport
  16. mug — a face
  17. drill — the tool
  18. chest — of your body
  19. mug — a cup
  20. suit — to fit
  21. race — humankind
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. race — the arms race

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