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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. net — in sport
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. lie — to recline
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. cue — a signal
  9. cue — a hint
  10. rush — hurry
  11. rash — a series
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. wake — a trail
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. net — after costs
  16. rash — hasty
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. cue — for pool
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. net — for catching
  24. lie — an untruth

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