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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. vault — a safe
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. can — a tin
  6. charge — a price
  7. charge — in control
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — to be able to
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bass — low music
  16. hand — in cards
  17. hand — help
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bass — the fish
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. charge — electricity
  24. fan — to cool the air

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