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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 drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. cue — a hint
  4. cue — a signal
  5. vault — a safe
  6. file — a document
  7. roll — a cake
  8. bulb — for light
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. file — a tool
  11. file — a line of people
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. pass — a permit
  14. roll — a list
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. bear — the animal
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bulb — for light
  21. cue — for pool
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. pass — to spend time

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