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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. cue — a signal
  4. cap — a lid
  5. vault — a safe
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. scale — size or range
  11. cap — a hat
  12. scale — in music
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. cue — for pool
  17. cue — a hint
  18. root — the cause
  19. deal — to handle
  20. cap — of ice
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. root — of a plant
  23. rush — hurry
  24. root — of a word

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