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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. cue — a signal
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. cue — a hint
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. charge — a price
  8. charge — electricity
  9. saw — the tool
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. cue — for pool
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. dip — to sink
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. charge — in control
  21. vault — a safe
  22. band — a ring
  23. saw — the tool
  24. pitcher — a jug

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