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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: club · bulb · snap · chip · fall · firm · clip · vault

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. vault — a safe
  3. club — a group
  4. club — for dancing
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. clip — to cut
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. firm — steady
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — for light
  11. clip — for paper
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. fall — the season
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. clip — a video
  17. fall — to drop
  18. firm — a company
  19. chip — for betting
  20. chip — to eat
  21. snap — to click
  22. club — for golf
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. firm — decided

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