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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 116 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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. season — of the year
  4. wound — an injury
  5. cue — a hint
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. mug — to rob
  10. mug — a cup
  11. chip — to eat
  12. mark — a grade
  13. wound — an injury
  14. vault — a safe
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. mug — a face
  17. cue — a signal
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. chip — for betting
  21. cue — for pool
  22. kick — in football
  23. mark — a trace
  24. season — in sport

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