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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 120 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 would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. can — to be able to
  3. rest — what's left
  4. cue — for pool
  5. cue — a signal
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. vault — a safe
  9. capital — a city
  10. can — a tin
  11. cue — a hint
  12. bulb — for light
  13. hand — help
  14. can — a tin
  15. bulb — for light
  16. hand — in cards
  17. capital — money
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. rest — what's left
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. saw — the tool
  23. saw — the tool
  24. capital — a big letter

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