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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 116 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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. mine — for digging
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. cue — for pool
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. rest — what's left
  8. vault — a safe
  9. rest — a break
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. cue — a hint
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. season — of the year
  17. snap — to click
  18. cue — a signal
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. season — in sport
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. rest — what's left

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