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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 120 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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. hand — help
  3. vault — a safe
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. key — the most important part
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. cue — a signal
  10. spring — of water
  11. prune — to trim
  12. cue — a hint
  13. key — for a lock
  14. snap — to click
  15. rule — government
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. key — in music
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. prune — to trim
  20. spring — the season
  21. rule — a law
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. hand — in cards
  24. spring — a coil

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