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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: dip · vault · face · hand · wave · row · current · cue

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. cue — a hint
  3. cue — for pool
  4. vault — a safe
  5. hand — help
  6. hand — in cards
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. dip — to sink
  9. face — part of the head
  10. face — to point toward
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. face — to confront
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. row — a line
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. row — to paddle
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. current — happening now
  22. current — electric
  23. cue — a signal
  24. current — of water

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