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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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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: bank · degree · cell · vault · capital · safe · cue · rush

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. vault — a safe
  3. degree — from a university
  4. cell — in biology
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. bank — for money
  7. cell — a phone
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. cue — a hint
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. degree — an amount
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. capital — money
  18. bank — of a river
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. cue — for pool
  21. capital — a city
  22. rush — hurry
  23. degree — temperature
  24. bank — for money

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