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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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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 · vault · bark · stand · rule · content · lean · nail

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. stand — to bear
  5. lean — to bend
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. rule — a law
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. cue — for pool
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. bark — to shout
  12. vault — a safe
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. lean — thin
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. cue — a signal
  17. cue — a hint
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. rule — government
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. content — happy
  24. content — the amount

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