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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: cold · board · cue · vault · trunk · charge · pass · deal

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. pass — a permit
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. board — to get on
  6. charge — a price
  7. charge — electricity
  8. deal — to handle
  9. cue — a signal
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. cold — not warm
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. cue — a hint
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. cold — an illness
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. charge — in control
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. cue — for pool
  22. board — a committee
  23. vault — a safe
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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