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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: bat · ground · trunk · vault · bank · snap · jam · pass

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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 snap out of it
  3. ground — crushed
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. bank — of a river
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. pass — a permit
  12. snap — to click
  13. vault — a safe
  14. ground — a position
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. ground — the earth
  19. bat — the animal
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — for money
  24. bat — in an idiom

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