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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.

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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. bear — the animal
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. cue — a signal
  6. vault — a safe
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. bear — the animal
  11. tube — a container
  12. band — a music group
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. cue — for pool
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. band — a ring
  19. cue — a hint
  20. date — the fruit
  21. row — to paddle
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. row — a line
  24. band — a rubber band

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