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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. cue — for pool
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. content — the amount
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. rest — a break
  9. cue — a hint
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. rush — hurry
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. vault — a safe
  15. cue — a signal
  16. spell — magic
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. rest — what's left
  21. content — happy
  22. rest — what's left
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. spell — letters

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