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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. cue — a hint
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. degree — from a university
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. rush — hurry
  9. bank — of a river
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. degree — an amount
  15. cue — for pool
  16. deal — to handle
  17. cue — a signal
  18. degree — temperature
  19. vault — a safe
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. bank — for money
  22. bank — for money
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. calf — a young 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