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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: rash · cap · cue · snap · vault · file · stock · press

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. snap — to click
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. cue — for pool
  8. cap — a lid
  9. vault — a safe
  10. file — a document
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. cap — of ice
  13. press — newspapers
  14. press — a publisher
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. file — a tool
  17. cue — a hint
  18. stock — goods
  19. file — a line of people
  20. cap — a hat
  21. rash — hasty
  22. cue — a signal
  23. rash — a series
  24. stock — shares

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