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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. cue — a hint
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. cue — a signal
  8. cue — for pool
  9. bear — the animal
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. bear — the animal
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. vault — a safe
  15. spell — letters
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. spell — a short time
  18. spell — magic
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bulb — for light
  24. band — a ring

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