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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: vault · suit · cue · root · face · rest · fine · prune

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. suit — clothes
  3. prune — to trim
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. fine — high quality
  8. root — the cause
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. suit — in cards
  11. cue — a signal
  12. cue — a hint
  13. rest — what's left
  14. prune — to trim
  15. vault — a safe
  16. root — of a plant
  17. face — to point toward
  18. face — part of the head
  19. root — of a word
  20. fine — all right
  21. rest — a break
  22. suit — to fit
  23. cue — for pool
  24. face — to confront

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