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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: rule · leaves · mark · chest · vault · hand · snap · cabinet

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. vault — a safe
  3. snap — to click
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. chest — of your body
  7. mark — a trace
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. rule — a law
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. chest — of your body
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. hand — in cards
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. rule — government
  22. hand — help
  23. chest — a box
  24. leaves — lets stay

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