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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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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: vault · charge · present · plane · row · hide · cue · cap

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. charge — electricity
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. cap — a lid
  6. cue — for pool
  7. cap — of ice
  8. charge — in control
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. present — the time now
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. cue — a hint
  14. charge — a price
  15. cap — a hat
  16. vault — a safe
  17. plane — a tool
  18. present — a gift
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. present — there
  21. row — to paddle
  22. row — a line
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hide — to keep secret

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