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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: snap · mine · kick · cap · cue · tube · vault · band

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. cap — of ice
  3. band — a music group
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. cue — for pool
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. mine — for digging
  9. cap — a hat
  10. cap — a lid
  11. cue — a hint
  12. cue — a signal
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. kick — in football
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. tube — a container
  17. tube — the underground
  18. band — a ring
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. snap — to click
  23. vault — a safe
  24. mine — an explosive

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