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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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Word bank
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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: vault · roll · cue · staff · spring · land · swing · toast

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. spring — of water
  3. land — a country
  4. spring — a coil
  5. cue — a signal
  6. swing — music
  7. swing — to play on
  8. cue — for pool
  9. roll — a cake
  10. roll — a list
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. staff — a stick
  15. staff — employees
  16. land — to come down
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. land — ground
  19. cue — a hint
  20. toast — bread
  21. swing — in golf
  22. spring — the season
  23. vault — a safe
  24. roll — on a roll

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