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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 · rest · cue · bear · lie · racket · prune · board

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. board — a committee
  5. prune — to trim
  6. cue — a hint
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. bear — the animal
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — a break
  13. cue — a signal
  14. prune — to trim
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. lie — to recline
  17. board — to get on
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. vault — a safe
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. bear — the animal
  23. cue — for pool
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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