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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  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 — an arched ceiling
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. cue — a signal
  4. press — to push
  5. bore — to tire
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. cue — a hint
  8. cue — for pool
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. vault — a safe
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bore — to drill
  15. shower — to wash
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. press — a publisher
  19. prune — to trim
  20. press — newspapers
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. shower — rain
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  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