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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: chair · vault · bulb · tube · face · arm · cue · stand

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. vault — a safe
  4. tube — a container
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. face — to confront
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. stand — to bear
  9. cue — a signal
  10. cue — a hint
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. cue — for pool
  18. tube — the underground
  19. face — to point toward
  20. bulb — for light
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. chair — a leader
  23. face — part of the head
  24. bulb — for light

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