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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: bulb · kid · snap · swing · pop · charge · dip · vault

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. swing — music
  3. bulb — for light
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. pop — soda
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. vault — a safe
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. pop — to visit
  10. swing — in golf
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. dip — to sink
  13. snap — to click
  14. swing — to play on
  15. charge — in control
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. bulb — for light
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. kid — child
  22. kid — to tease
  23. charge — a price
  24. charge — electricity

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