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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rash · safe · rush · vault · trunk · stand · clip · cue

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. clip — for paper
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. cue — a hint
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. rush — hurry
  9. vault — a safe
  10. rash — a series
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. rash — hasty
  16. cue — a signal
  17. stand — to bear
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. clip — a video
  20. clip — to cut
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. cue — for pool
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. rush — a thrill

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