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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. spring — the season
  3. spring — of water
  4. lean — thin
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. firm — a company
  8. mug — to rob
  9. spring — a coil
  10. cue — a signal
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. mug — a cup
  13. bat — the animal
  14. cue — for pool
  15. cue — a hint
  16. firm — steady
  17. vault — a safe
  18. firm — decided
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. lean — to bend
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. rush — hurry

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