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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. cue — a hint
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. key — for a lock
  6. cue — a signal
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. snap — to click
  10. mate — a friend
  11. bank — for money
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. key — in music
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. key — the most important part
  18. date — the fruit
  19. bank — of a river
  20. mate — a partner
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. bank — for money
  23. cue — for pool
  24. vault — a safe

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