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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 · hand · bat · rest · calf · jam · vault · fork

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rest — a break
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. rest — what's left
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. bat — the animal
  14. fork — in a road
  15. snap — to click
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. vault — a safe
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. hand — help
  22. hand — in cards
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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