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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 116 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: snap · bat · cue · vault · press · stick

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. vault — a safe
  5. cue — a hint
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. press — a publisher
  10. cue — a signal
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. snap — to click
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. cue — for pool
  16. bat — the animal
  17. press — newspapers
  18. press — to push

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