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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. vault — a safe
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. cue — for pool
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. degree — an amount
  9. wake — a trail
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. cue — a hint
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. cue — a signal
  19. rock — music
  20. degree — temperature
  21. degree — from a university
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. dip — to sink
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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