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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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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: snap · object · board · craft · mine · pop · kid · vault

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. kid — child
  3. craft — boats
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. object — to protest
  6. kid — to tease
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. pop — music
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. craft — a skill
  12. board — to get on
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. mine — for digging
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. object — an aim
  17. object — a thing
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. vault — a safe
  22. pop — soda
  23. board — a committee
  24. pop — to visit

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