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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: cue · snap · key · vault · content · firm · hand · tube

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. firm — a company
  4. cue — a signal
  5. key — for a lock
  6. hand — in cards
  7. tube — the underground
  8. key — in music
  9. key — the most important part
  10. content — happy
  11. cue — a hint
  12. content — the amount
  13. firm — decided
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. cue — for pool
  16. snap — to click
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. tube — a container
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. hand — help
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. firm — steady
  24. vault — a safe

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