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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: lash · vault · swing · deal · rush · tube · net · snap

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  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. snap — to speak sharply
  2. swing — to play on
  3. net — for catching
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. swing — in golf
  6. tube — a container
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. net — in sport
  10. deal — to handle
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. swing — music
  13. net — after costs
  14. rush — hurry
  15. snap — to click
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. tube — the underground
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  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