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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 · snap · toast · wave · court · press · bulb · saw

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bulb — for light
  3. court — for sport
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. toast — bread
  7. bulb — for light
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. snap — to click
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. court — of law
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. press — newspapers
  18. court — of a king
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. saw — the tool
  22. press — a publisher
  23. vault — a safe
  24. press — to push

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