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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: file · lie · prune · vault · coach · fall · cue · mouse

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. cue — for pool
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. file — a tool
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. fall — to drop
  14. lie — to recline
  15. vault — a safe
  16. fall — the season
  17. file — a line of people
  18. prune — to trim
  19. cue — a signal
  20. file — a document
  21. fall — to drop
  22. cue — a hint
  23. prune — to trim
  24. mouse — the animal

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