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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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Word bank
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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: trunk · drill · cue · tube · snap · roll · vault · leaves

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. cue — for pool
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. cue — a signal
  10. snap — to click
  11. cue — a hint
  12. drill — army training
  13. drill — a practice
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. tube — a container
  16. roll — a cake
  17. drill — the tool
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. tube — the underground
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. roll — a list
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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