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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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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: foot · rock · cold · current · cue · leaves · wound · vault

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. wound — an injury
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. rock — music
  5. current — of water
  6. foot — a measure
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. rock — a stone
  9. cue — a hint
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. cue — for pool
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. cue — a signal
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. current — electric
  17. current — happening now
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. wound — an injury
  23. vault — a safe
  24. cold — not warm

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