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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: pop · rule · snap · kid · pound · vault · rash · saw

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. vault — a safe
  3. saw — the tool
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. pop — soda
  7. rule — government
  8. saw — the tool
  9. rule — a law
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. pop — music
  13. snap — to click
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. pound — a weight
  18. pop — to visit
  19. kid — to tease
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. rash — a series
  24. rash — hasty

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