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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: spring · vault · rule · bowl · firm · cue

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. spring — of water
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. rule — government
  6. firm — a company
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. cue — for pool
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. cue — a signal
  12. rule — a law
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. cue — a hint
  15. spring — the season
  16. spring — a coil
  17. firm — decided
  18. firm — steady

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