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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. can — a tin
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. cue — a signal
  5. stand — to bear
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. vault — a safe
  8. row — a line
  9. snap — to click
  10. object — a thing
  11. can — to be able to
  12. object — to protest
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. row — to paddle
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. cue — a hint
  17. cue — for pool
  18. object — an aim
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. can — a tin
  23. band — a music group
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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