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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.

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: snap · bat · tube · plane · vault · cue · fan · scale

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. vault — a safe
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. bat — the animal
  7. scale — in music
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. scale — size or range
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. cue — for pool
  12. tube — a container
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. plane — a tool
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. snap — to click
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. tube — the underground
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. cue — a hint
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. cue — a signal
  24. plane — an aircraft

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