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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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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: vault · lie · nail · patient · cue · club · leaves · tube

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. club — for dancing
  4. cue — a hint
  5. cue — a signal
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. club — for golf
  15. cue — for pool
  16. tube — the underground
  17. lie — to recline
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. club — a group
  21. vault — a safe
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. tube — a container

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