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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. rock — music
  3. rock — a stone
  4. last — finally
  5. spring — of water
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. cue — a hint
  8. fine — high quality
  9. fine — all right
  10. vault — a safe
  11. last — to go on
  12. last — final
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. scale — size or range
  16. spring — the season
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. spring — a coil
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. cue — for pool
  22. cue — a signal
  23. scale — in music
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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