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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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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 · rest · vault · trunk · shower · cue · spell · rule

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. shower — rain
  5. cue — for pool
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. file — a line of people
  8. rule — government
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. rest — a break
  11. cue — a signal
  12. spell — magic
  13. rest — what's left
  14. file — a tool
  15. shower — to wash
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. cue — a hint
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. spell — a short time
  21. spell — letters
  22. rule — a law
  23. vault — a safe
  24. rest — what's left

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