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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 116 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 · fine · bear · lash · vault · bat · drill · cell

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. fine — high quality
  3. cue — a hint
  4. bear — the animal
  5. drill — army training
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. drill — a practice
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. cell — in biology
  13. drill — the tool
  14. bat — the animal
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. cue — a signal
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. cue — for pool
  19. cell — a phone
  20. fine — all right
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. bear — the animal
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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