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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: cue · vault · chest · wound · squash · wave · dip · rash

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. chest — a box
  8. cue — a hint
  9. rash — a series
  10. squash — the sport
  11. chest — of your body
  12. vault — a safe
  13. cue — for pool
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. rash — hasty
  18. wound — an injury
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. squash — to crush
  23. chest — of your body
  24. cue — a signal

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