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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. band — a music group
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. cue — a hint
  5. file — a tool
  6. file — a line of people
  7. staff — employees
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. band — a ring
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. season — of the year
  15. file — a document
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. cue — for pool
  19. cue — a signal
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. staff — employees
  22. staff — a stick
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. season — in sport

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