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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: present · bulb · safe · snap · wound · chip · swing · vault

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. swing — music
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. present — the time now
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. snap — to click
  7. swing — in golf
  8. present — there
  9. wound — an injury
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. wound — an injury
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. chip — to eat
  15. chip — for betting
  16. bulb — for light
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. swing — to play on
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. bulb — for light
  21. vault — a safe
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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