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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 · bulb · snap · straw · bark · bowl · vault · swing

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. bulb — for light
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. rule — government
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. swing — in golf
  15. snap — to click
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. rule — a law
  18. swing — music
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. bark — to shout
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bulb — for light
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. swing — to play on

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