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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: date · cue · squash · lie · press · current · fork · vault

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. press — to push
  3. squash — to crush
  4. press — newspapers
  5. cue — for pool
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. vault — a safe
  8. current — happening now
  9. fork — in a road
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lie — to recline
  12. press — a publisher
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. date — the fruit
  16. current — of water
  17. current — electric
  18. cue — a signal
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. squash — the sport
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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