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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: rest · stick · cue · content · vault · stand · snap · cell

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. content — the amount
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. cue — for pool
  7. cue — a hint
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. rest — what's left
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. cue — a signal
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. content — happy
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. rest — a break
  19. rest — what's left
  20. vault — a safe
  21. snap — to click
  22. cell — in biology
  23. cell — a phone
  24. cell — in a prison

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