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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: vault · chip · squash · mug · snap · sharp · toast · current

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. current — happening now
  3. current — electric
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. squash — to crush
  7. snap — to click
  8. mug — a face
  9. mug — a cup
  10. sharp — clever
  11. squash — the sport
  12. vault — a safe
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. current — of water
  16. chip — to eat
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. chip — for betting
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. toast — bread
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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