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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: snap · vault · file · pit · dip · squash · stand · wake

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. dip — to sink
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. file — a tool
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. pit — a hole
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. squash — to crush
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. snap — to click
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. wake — a trail
  18. file — a document
  19. pit — in a race
  20. stand — to bear
  21. file — a line of people
  22. squash — the sport
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. vault — a safe

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