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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: vault · swing · chest · lie · wave · roll · snap · scale

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. roll — a cake
  10. swing — in golf
  11. vault — a safe
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. chest — of your body
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. snap — to click
  18. chest — of your body
  19. swing — music
  20. scale — in music
  21. scale — size or range
  22. lie — to recline
  23. chest — a box
  24. roll — a list

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