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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 120 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 · arm · fine · rush · fork · ground · vault · rest

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. ground — a position
  6. snap — to click
  7. ground — crushed
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. fork — in a road
  12. fine — all right
  13. rush — hurry
  14. rest — what's left
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. ground — the earth
  17. rest — what's left
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. fine — high quality
  20. vault — a safe
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. fork — a garden tool

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