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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. fall — to drop
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. shower — rain
  7. fall — the season
  8. cue — a signal
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. face — to point toward
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. shower — to wash
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. face — part of the head
  15. degree — temperature
  16. degree — from a university
  17. degree — an amount
  18. cell — in biology
  19. cue — a hint
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. cell — a phone
  22. fall — to drop
  23. cue — for pool
  24. face — to confront

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