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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: cue · vault · shower · rule · fork · stock · fall · rest

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  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. stock — goods
  2. rest — what's left
  3. fall — to drop
  4. shower — to wash
  5. fall — the season
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. rule — a law
  8. cue — a signal
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. rule — government
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. cue — for pool
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. rest — a break
  15. vault — a safe
  16. shower — rain
  17. rest — what's left
  18. stock — shares
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. fork — in a road
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. fall — to drop
  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