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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: cue · vault · straw · deal · key · calf · spring · bass

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. bass — low music
  3. cue — a signal
  4. bass — the fish
  5. spring — of water
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. spring — the season
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. key — the most important part
  10. deal — to handle
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. spring — a coil
  15. key — in music
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. cue — a hint
  21. key — for a lock
  22. vault — a safe
  23. cue — for pool
  24. deal — an agreement

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