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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: straw · vault · pitcher · pass · rash · current · content · snap

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. vault — a safe
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. pass — a permit
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. rash — a series
  12. content — the amount
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. current — happening now
  16. current — of water
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. rash — hasty
  21. current — electric
  22. content — happy
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. snap — to click

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