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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. mark — a trace
  3. vault — a safe
  4. mark — a grade
  5. tear — from crying
  6. cue — for pool
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. rush — hurry
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. tear — from crying
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. cue — a signal
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. tear — to rip
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. cue — a hint

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