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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. tube — a container
  3. cue — a signal
  4. cue — for pool
  5. tube — the underground
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. rest — what's left
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. vault — a safe
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. fall — to drop
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. fall — to drop
  18. rest — what's left
  19. fall — the season
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. cue — a hint
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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