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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: cabinet · cue · prune · spring · vault · cell · kick · snap

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. cell — in biology
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. cue — a signal
  8. spring — the season
  9. kick — in football
  10. prune — to trim
  11. cue — a hint
  12. cue — for pool
  13. cell — a phone
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. snap — to click
  18. spring — of water
  19. prune — to trim
  20. vault — a safe
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. spring — a coil

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