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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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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: vault · pop · fork · cue · straw · chip · lie · saw

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. saw — the tool
  6. saw — the tool
  7. pop — soda
  8. chip — to eat
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. pop — music
  12. pop — to visit
  13. vault — a safe
  14. cue — for pool
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. cue — a signal
  18. chip — for betting
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. lie — to recline
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. fork — in a road
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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