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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 · chair · swing · snap · dip · vault · present · lie

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. lie — to recline
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. vault — a safe
  9. swing — to play on
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. snap — to click
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bulb — for light
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. bulb — for light
  16. chair — a leader
  17. swing — music
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. present — there
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. swing — in golf
  22. present — a gift
  23. dip — to sink
  24. chair — a professorship

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