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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: bass · pitcher · snap · kid · cabinet · bound · coach · vault

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. bound — tied together
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. bass — low music
  6. kid — child
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. kid — to tease
  9. bound — certain
  10. vault — a safe
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bound — obliged
  14. bass — the fish
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. snap — to click
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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