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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: snap · clip · tube · ball · vault · wave · rock · chair

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. clip — for paper
  3. tube — a container
  4. ball — a great time
  5. ball — a dance
  6. clip — to cut
  7. snap — to click
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. vault — a safe
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. tube — the underground
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. rock — music
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. rock — a stone
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. clip — a video
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. chair — a leader
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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