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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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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: snap · mark · safe · wake · vault · dip · pop · land

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. mark — a grade
  7. pop — music
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. dip — to sink
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. land — a country
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. wake — a trail
  15. vault — a safe
  16. land — to come down
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. pop — to visit
  20. snap — to click
  21. pop — soda
  22. land — ground
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. safe — out of danger

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