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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 116 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: rule · press · bat · bore · vault · cue · root · leaves

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. cue — a signal
  3. root — the cause
  4. rule — a law
  5. root — of a word
  6. root — of a plant
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. cue — a hint
  10. rule — government
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. press — a publisher
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. bore — to drill
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. vault — a safe
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. cue — for pool
  20. press — newspapers
  21. bore — to tire
  22. bat — the animal
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. press — to push

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