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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: bark · kick · wound · lie · suit · clip · vault · cue

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. clip — to cut
  3. kick — in football
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. cue — for pool
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. lie — to recline
  8. vault — a safe
  9. wound — an injury
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. cue — a hint
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. suit — in cards
  15. suit — clothes
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. clip — a video
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. clip — for paper
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. wound — an injury
  23. bark — to shout
  24. suit — to fit

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