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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: tube · stock · vault · wake · pit · squash · snap · lash

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. snap — to click
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. vault — a safe
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. squash — the sport
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. squash — to crush
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. stock — shares
  16. pit — in a race
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. tube — a container
  20. tube — the underground
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. pit — a hole
  23. stock — goods
  24. wake — a trail

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