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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: vault · cold · lash · current · last · ruler · cue · object

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. current — happening now
  3. object — an aim
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. cold — not warm
  7. object — to protest
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. last — to go on
  10. vault — a safe
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. last — finally
  13. current — of water
  14. cold — an illness
  15. current — electric
  16. cue — a hint
  17. last — final
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. object — a thing
  24. cue — for pool

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