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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've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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. trunk — of a car
  4. cue — a hint
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. track — a song
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hand — help
  10. fine — all right
  11. fine — high quality
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. track — to keep track
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. track — a path
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. hand — in cards
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. cue — for pool
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. cue — a signal

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