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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: cap · last · date · coach · key · snap · dip · vault

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. key — in music
  3. vault — a safe
  4. last — finally
  5. cap — of ice
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. key — for a lock
  10. snap — to click
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. dip — to sink
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. cap — a lid
  15. key — the most important part
  16. last — final
  17. cap — a hat
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. date — the fruit
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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