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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 120 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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. cue — a signal
  4. band — a music group
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. pit — in a race
  8. rest — what's left
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. pit — a hole
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. rest — what's left
  15. plane — a tool
  16. cue — a hint
  17. rest — a break
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. band — a ring
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. cue — for pool

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