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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. cue — a hint
  3. spell — letters
  4. cue — a signal
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. rock — music
  8. bark — to shout
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. kick — in football
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. spell — magic
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. vault — a safe
  20. rock — a stone
  21. snap — to click
  22. cue — for pool
  23. spell — a short time
  24. kick — a thrill

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