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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: wound · cue · charge · pop · calf · snap · vault · straw

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. cue — a signal
  3. charge — in control
  4. pop — music
  5. cue — a hint
  6. charge — a price
  7. charge — electricity
  8. snap — to click
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. wound — an injury
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. wound — an injury
  14. pop — soda
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. cue — for pool
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. pop — to visit

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