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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. vault — a safe
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. bass — low music
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. mine — for digging
  7. saw — the tool
  8. cue — a signal
  9. saw — the tool
  10. kick — in football
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. cue — for pool
  17. cue — a hint
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. branch — a division
  21. bass — the fish
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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