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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: court · saw · leaves · hide · vault · cue · stick · rule

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. cue — a hint
  4. rule — a law
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. vault — a safe
  7. rule — government
  8. cue — a signal
  9. court — for sport
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. court — of a king
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. court — of law
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. saw — the tool
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. saw — the tool
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. cue — for pool
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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