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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. vault — a safe
  3. mug — a face
  4. net — after costs
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. mug — a cup
  7. mug — to rob
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. cue — a signal
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. net — in sport
  12. cue — for pool
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. wake — a trail
  15. mark — a trace
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. file — a document
  18. mark — a grade
  19. net — for catching
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. file — a line of people
  24. cue — a hint

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