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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. cue — a signal
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bulb — for light
  5. shower — rain
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. hand — in cards
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. hand — help
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. cue — a hint
  13. court — for sport
  14. cue — for pool
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. court — of a king
  19. court — of law
  20. bulb — for light
  21. shower — to wash
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. vault — a safe

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