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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: wake · cue · kid · cabinet · straw · face · vault · pass

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. face — part of the head
  6. face — to confront
  7. cue — for pool
  8. vault — a safe
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. cue — a signal
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. cue — a hint
  13. kid — child
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. kid — to tease
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. face — to point toward
  22. wake — a trail
  23. pass — a permit
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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