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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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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. cue — a signal
  3. scale — size or range
  4. cue — a hint
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. wake — a trail
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. charge — electricity
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. cue — for pool
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. charge — in control
  17. scale — in music
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. charge — a price

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