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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: drill · cue · vault · chest · tube · mouse · race · mate

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. drill — a practice
  4. cue — a signal
  5. mate — a partner
  6. cue — for pool
  7. mate — to breed
  8. chest — a box
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mate — a friend
  12. race — a contest
  13. chest — of your body
  14. vault — a safe
  15. race — the arms race
  16. drill — the tool
  17. chest — of your body
  18. tube — the underground
  19. cue — a hint
  20. tube — a container
  21. drill — army training
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. race — humankind

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