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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: can · stand · vault · snap · dip · cold · fine · toast

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. can — to be able to
  8. dip — to sink
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. vault — a safe
  12. cold — not warm
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. can — a tin
  15. stand — to bear
  16. fine — high quality
  17. snap — to click
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. cold — an illness
  21. fine — all right
  22. toast — bread
  23. can — a tin
  24. stand — for spectators

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