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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: vault · pit · snap · coach · mine · lie · jam · wake

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. lie — to recline
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. vault — a safe
  11. wake — a trail
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. snap — to click
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. pit — in a race
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. mine — for digging
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. pit — a hole

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