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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: perch · straw · snap · vault · chip · bulb · rule · face

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. rule — government
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. bulb — for light
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. bulb — for light
  7. rule — a law
  8. vault — a safe
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. snap — to click
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. face — to point toward
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. perch — the fish
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. chip — to eat
  18. face — part of the head
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. chip — for betting
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. face — to confront
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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