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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.

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: plane · coach · vault · ball · lean · snap · game · cue

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. snap — to click
  3. game — a match
  4. game — wild animals
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. vault — a safe
  7. cue — a hint
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. ball — a great time
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. cue — for pool
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. lean — thin
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. plane — a tool
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. cue — a signal
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. lean — to bend
  24. ball — a dance

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