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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: lean · season · stock · kid · snap · coach · game · vault

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. season — in sport
  4. game — a match
  5. vault — a safe
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. stock — shares
  9. game — wild animals
  10. lean — thin
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. lean — to bend
  13. snap — to click
  14. kid — to tease
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. season — of the year
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. kid — child
  24. stock — goods

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