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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.

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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: trunk · cue · capital · vault · current · leaves · snap · face

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. cue — for pool
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. capital — a city
  7. capital — money
  8. current — happening now
  9. face — to point toward
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. face — to confront
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. cue — a signal
  15. current — of water
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. vault — a safe
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. current — electric
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. face — part of the head
  23. snap — to click
  24. cue — a hint

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