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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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Word bank
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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: scale · net · vault · rush · leaves · bulb · snap · clip

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. bulb — for light
  4. clip — a video
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. scale — in music
  8. net — after costs
  9. net — for catching
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. snap — to click
  13. scale — size or range
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. clip — to cut
  16. rush — hurry
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. net — in sport
  21. bulb — for light
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. vault — a safe

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