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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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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'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. fine — all right
  3. spell — letters
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. spell — magic
  7. vault — a safe
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. pound — a weight
  10. cue — for pool
  11. bank — of a river
  12. bank — for money
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. cue — a signal
  16. spell — a short time
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. fine — high quality
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. bank — for money
  22. snap — to click
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. pound — to hit hard

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