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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. wake — a trail
  4. rock — a stone
  5. fall — to drop
  6. vault — a safe
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. cue — a hint
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. fall — to drop
  12. current — electric
  13. current — happening now
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. cue — for pool
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. fall — the season
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. rock — music
  20. current — of water
  21. cue — a signal
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. bat — the animal

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