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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: current · vault · bass · bulb · stand · tube · snap · squash

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. tube — the underground
  4. current — of water
  5. stand — to bear
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. current — electric
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bass — the fish
  10. squash — the sport
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. bulb — for light
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. vault — a safe
  16. current — happening now
  17. bass — low music
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. tube — a container
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. squash — to crush
  24. bulb — of a plant

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