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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: wave · chip · wake · vault · tear · snap · court · bulb

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. 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. court — for sport
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. tear — from crying
  4. snap — to click
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. chip — for betting
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. court — of law
  9. court — of a king
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. wake — a trail
  13. tear — to rip
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. bulb — for light
  16. tear — from crying
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. bulb — for light
  20. chip — to eat
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. vault — a safe
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. 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