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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: vault · jam · straw · kid · bear · board · cue · chair

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. cue — a hint
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. bear — the animal
  7. board — a committee
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. cue — for pool
  11. kid — child
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. board — to get on
  19. cue — a signal
  20. kid — to tease
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. chair — a leader
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. bear — the animal

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