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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 · bass · cue · kid · snap · wave · arm · pop

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. snap — to click
  3. pop — music
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. kid — to tease
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. bass — the fish
  9. kid — child
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. pop — to visit
  12. vault — a safe
  13. cue — for pool
  14. cue — a signal
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. cue — a hint
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. bass — low music
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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