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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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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: snap · bulb · bound · cabinet · temple · stick · pop · vault

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. bulb — for light
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. bound — obliged
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. bound — certain
  10. pop — music
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. pop — to visit
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. bound — tied together
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. vault — a safe
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. bulb — for light
  24. pop — soda

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