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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. cue — a signal
  3. cue — a hint
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. club — a group
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. wound — an injury
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. craft — a skill
  10. craft — boats
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. cue — for pool
  14. mark — a trace
  15. wound — an injury
  16. vault — a safe
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. club — for dancing
  21. club — for golf
  22. mark — a grade
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. nail — on a finger

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