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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. object — a thing
  3. cue — for pool
  4. land — to come down
  5. row — a line
  6. mug — to rob
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. cue — a hint
  10. row — to paddle
  11. mug — a cup
  12. object — to protest
  13. object — an aim
  14. bound — tied together
  15. land — ground
  16. bound — obliged
  17. mug — a face
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. kick — in football
  22. bound — certain
  23. vault — a safe
  24. land — a country

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