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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: snap · file · cue · vault · charge · rash · wound · lie

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. charge — in control
  5. rash — hasty
  6. lie — to recline
  7. vault — a safe
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. file — a line of people
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. wound — an injury
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. file — a tool
  16. snap — to click
  17. charge — electricity
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. cue — a hint
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. file — a document
  22. rash — a series
  23. charge — a price
  24. cue — for pool

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