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

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. chest — of your body
  3. cue — for pool
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. date — the fruit
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. chest — a box
  8. last — final
  9. cue — a signal
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. ground — crushed
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. chest — of your body
  15. wind — moving air
  16. ground — a position
  17. vault — a safe
  18. last — to go on
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. wind — moving air
  22. last — finally
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. ground — the earth

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