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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. cue — for pool
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. vault — a safe
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. scale — in music
  7. chest — a box
  8. scale — size or range
  9. branch — a division
  10. toast — bread
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. cue — a signal
  17. tube — the underground
  18. cue — a hint
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. chest — of your body
  23. chest — of your body
  24. tube — in a tire

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