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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: saw · fan · cue · vault · ball · dip · leaves · fall

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. cue — a signal
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. vault — a safe
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. ball — a great time
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. cue — for pool
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. dip — to sink
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. saw — the tool
  15. cue — a hint
  16. fall — the season
  17. fall — to drop
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. saw — the tool
  21. ball — a dance
  22. fall — to drop
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. ball — a round shape

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