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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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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 · wave · ball · net · dip · vault · stick · pop

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. snap — to click
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. net — after costs
  5. net — in sport
  6. pop — music
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. vault — a safe
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. ball — a great time
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. ball — a dance
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. dip — to sink
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. pop — to visit
  19. pop — soda
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. net — for catching

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