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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: nail · snap · bulb · net · fall · cell · vault · rush

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. net — in sport
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. net — after costs
  6. cell — in biology
  7. vault — a safe
  8. bulb — for light
  9. rush — hurry
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. fall — the season
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. snap — to click
  16. cell — a phone
  17. bulb — for light
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. fall — to drop
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. fall — to drop
  24. net — for catching

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