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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. cue — for pool
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. cue — a signal
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fall — to drop
  10. vault — a safe
  11. fall — the season
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. pass — a permit
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. pound — a weight
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. cue — a hint
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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