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

Word bank: bay · lean · straw · staff · vault · face · cue · prune

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. vault — a safe
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. lean — to bend
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. prune — to trim
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. staff — employees
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. cue — a signal
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. face — to point toward
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. lean — thin
  19. staff — a stick
  20. face — to confront
  21. cue — a hint
  22. prune — to trim
  23. staff — employees
  24. cue — for pool

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