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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 116 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: squash · shower · cap · mouse · clip · cue · vault · rush

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. rush — hurry
  3. cap — a lid
  4. shower — rain
  5. clip — to cut
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. shower — to wash
  8. cap — a hat
  9. cue — a hint
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. squash — to crush
  15. cue — for pool
  16. cue — a signal
  17. vault — a safe
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. cap — of ice
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. clip — for paper
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. squash — the sport
  24. rush — to hurry

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