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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 116 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: capital · clip · firm · drill · charge · snap · dip · vault

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. clip — for paper
  3. capital — money
  4. clip — to cut
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. drill — a practice
  7. snap — to click
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. dip — to sink
  10. clip — a video
  11. charge — electricity
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. firm — a company
  14. charge — in control
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. firm — decided
  17. firm — steady
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. drill — army training
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. vault — a safe
  23. capital — a city
  24. charge — a price

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