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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. cue — a signal
  4. cue — for pool
  5. hand — help
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. lean — to bend
  8. chest — of your body
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. chest — of your body
  12. lean — thin
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. hand — in cards
  18. cue — a hint
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. chest — a box
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. trunk — of a tree

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