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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. vault — a safe
  3. bat — the animal
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. bound — tied together
  7. bound — obliged
  8. cue — a signal
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. bound — certain
  11. land — ground
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. wake — a trail
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. stem — to come from
  18. cue — for pool
  19. land — a country
  20. cue — a hint
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. land — to come down
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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