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

Word bank: hide · bulb · snap · arm · charge · vault

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. 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. hide — to keep secret
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bulb — for light
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. charge — a price
  6. charge — electricity
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. vault — a safe
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. snap — to click
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. bulb — for light
  16. charge — in control
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. 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