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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. cue — a signal
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. clip — to cut
  16. vault — a safe
  17. pass — a permit
  18. clip — a video
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. wake — a trail
  21. kick — in football
  22. clip — for paper
  23. cue — for pool
  24. cue — a hint

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