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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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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: vault · cue · dip · wax · file · club · mug · wound

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. dip — to sink
  3. file — a tool
  4. wound — an injury
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. cue — for pool
  7. mug — a face
  8. cue — a hint
  9. club — for golf
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. club — a group
  12. wax — to grow
  13. club — for dancing
  14. mug — a cup
  15. cue — a signal
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. mug — to rob
  18. vault — a safe
  19. file — a line of people
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. file — a document

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