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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: vault · spring · rash · chip · wind · bowl · wave · cue

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. rash — hasty
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. chip — for betting
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. spring — of water
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. cue — a hint
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. chip — to eat
  13. wind — moving air
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. cue — for pool
  18. wind — moving air
  19. rash — a series
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. cue — a signal
  22. spring — the season
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. spring — a coil

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