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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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. ruler — for measuring
  4. pass — a permit
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. cue — a signal
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. capital — money
  9. cue — for pool
  10. kid — child
  11. cue — a hint
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. capital — a city
  19. kid — to tease
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. mouse — 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