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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. vault — a safe
  3. cue — a hint
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. mate — to breed
  7. hand — help
  8. rock — music
  9. shower — to wash
  10. cue — a signal
  11. march — music
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. cue — for pool
  14. mate — a friend
  15. mate — a partner
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. rock — a stone
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. shower — rain
  21. march — the month
  22. pass — a permit
  23. march — the month
  24. rock — to move gently

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