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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 120 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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. cue — a signal
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. craft — a skill
  5. craft — boats
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. tube — the underground
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. vault — a safe
  13. cue — for pool
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. perch — the fish
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. bear — the animal
  19. plane — a tool
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. bear — the animal
  22. tube — a container
  23. cue — a hint
  24. plane — in geometry

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