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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: cue · lash · trunk · degree · wave · nail · key · vault

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. key — for a lock
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. degree — from a university
  9. cue — a signal
  10. degree — an amount
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. vault — a safe
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. cue — a hint
  16. degree — temperature
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. key — the most important part
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. cue — for pool
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. key — in music

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