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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: bank · clip · vault · stock · face · cue · dip · jam

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. face — to point toward
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. bank — of a river
  5. face — to confront
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. vault — a safe
  8. cue — for pool
  9. cue — a signal
  10. bank — for money
  11. bank — for money
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. face — part of the head
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. clip — for paper
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. clip — to cut
  21. stock — shares
  22. cue — a hint
  23. stock — goods
  24. clip — a video

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