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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: deal · kid · wave · spring · rash · vault · snap · lie

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. spring — of water
  4. kid — to tease
  5. spring — a coil
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. rash — hasty
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. deal — to handle
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. vault — a safe
  18. kid — child
  19. spring — the season
  20. snap — to click
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. rash — a series
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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