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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: wake · mouse · clip · snap · club · kid · vault · swing

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. wake — a trail
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. swing — music
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. swing — to play on
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. clip — a video
  11. snap — to click
  12. clip — to cut
  13. club — for golf
  14. club — a group
  15. vault — a safe
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. kid — child
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. club — for dancing
  21. swing — in golf
  22. kid — to tease
  23. clip — for paper
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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