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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 · chair · bound · vault · leaves · rock · spring · mug

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. chair — a leader
  3. mug — a cup
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. bound — obliged
  6. rock — a stone
  7. snap — to click
  8. spring — of water
  9. mug — to rob
  10. mug — a face
  11. bound — certain
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. vault — a safe
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. spring — the season
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. spring — a coil
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. bound — tied together
  22. rock — music
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. chair — to sit on

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